Star Dancer
by Zephyri Magia
Summary: AU. Kakyuu has always wanted to be a Star Dancer. Refused in this, she resents that her new bodyguard is the strongest Star Dancer known to the galaxy. When Kakyuu convinces Galaxia to teach her magic, she sets into motion events that cannot be stopped.
1. Welcome to Kinmoku

_Author's Note: _So, this is me branching out into a new fandom—and a slightly different style of writing. My sister, who has become not-so-recently obsessed with Sailor Moon, made me watch several of the episodes, mostly Season Five, and somehow I got this idea from it. Don't ask how, because I'm not really sure where it comes from either. This is a longer chapter than I generally try to write—2,000 words past my usual limit, actually, but once you start typing you can't stop. I actually had three versions of this first chapter and went back and changed it to get _this_ chunk of writing. I hope I've portrayed everyone in the chapter at least semi-accurately (except Kakyuu's parents, I don't think they appear at all in the franchise so I'm taking my fanfiction writer's liberty license and using it for all it's worth)

_Disclaimer—_I think it's safe to say I don't own Sailor Moon. I probably couldn't have even come up with it, considering the fact that I am a tomboy and Sailor Moon in general appears rather girly. Since I'd get tired of trying to restate this disclaimer at the top of every chapter in increasingly inventive ways, this shall go for the whole story. I haven't owned Sailor Moon, I don't own Sailor Moon, and in the future I won't own Sailor Moon. I can ask for it for my birthday but that's not happening either.

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Star Dancer

_Part One: Welcome to Kinmoku _

_I want to be a Star Dancer._

Kakyuu repeated those words under her breath as she walked quietly down the hallway; it had taken her years of dreaming, self-convincing, and a huge dose of possibly false courage to get to this point, but she was going to do it. She was going to take the plunge. She was going to ask her father, as politely and eloquently as possible (better to impress him then to come off as whiny) if she could become a Star Dancer.

She'd wanted to become a Star Dancer ever since she was a child and had seen the star-warriors in action. Her planet was somewhat different from the others she'd read about in those books that sat around gathering dust in the palace archives; most every other planet in the galaxy that happened to be inhabited had a planetary Star Dancer. On occasion, there were lunar Star Dancers, and even rarer were stellar Star Dancers. Kinmoku's sun had no Star Dancer, no crystal formed from its energy that could allow someone to bond to it and become a Star Dancer.

Kinmoku had a planetary crystal, this was true—Kakyuu had seen it once, when she had been exploring and gotten turned around—she refused to think of it as lost, she had a perfectly good directional sense—arriving at a different door and a staircase leading deep below the ground. She had found herself at a door—unlocked; curious child that she was, she had gone in immediately.

The planetary crystal of Kinmoku was a red color, a ruby gem similar to Kakyuu's hair and eyes, and it was far prettier than any gem Kakyuu had ever seen; and she had quite a few, piled up from name-days past. A pale glow, like that of a distant star, emanated from within the crystal. This was what had so drawn Kakyuu to it—she had had the idle little thought that if she held that jewel, that she might be—wanted to be—holding a tiny star in the palm of her hand.

She had never gotten the chance to touch it; a passing sentry had noticed the door open and had whisked her away from the sanctuary with such vigor that Kakyuu had realized that she had done something wrong. Her parents later told her that she wasn't supposed to bother the crystal, that it was too dangerous. Kakyuu had been tempted to say that it hadn't seemed dangerous to her at all, just apprehensive, like it was waiting for its true owner. But no one had asked her opinion; and the image of the gemstone still haunted her mind. She could see it, if she closed her eyes and let her mind drift.

And she couldn't deny that since the day she had seen the Kinmoku Crystal that the tiny seed of a dream submerged in the depths of her mind began to sprout, bolstered by the image of the jewel constantly floating through her thoughts, and by the presences of the three Star Dancers who served Kinmoku.

Three Star Dancers—and not one with the planetary crystal. This was what made her planet different from the rest; the three Starlights' crystals had come from the satellite stars orbiting Kinmoku, named for the time they crossed the path of the sun—_Yoake_, at dawn; _Hiru_, at high noon; and _Hakumei_, at dusk. Yoake's crystal belonged to the Star Dancer called Taiki; Hiru's crystal to the Star Dancer Seiya; and Hakumei's crystal to the Star Dancer Yaten. Collectively, they were known as the Starlights, because they were, after all, carriers of stellar crystals.

Kakyuu could see the double doors of her father's study coming up rather quickly—had she been walking that fast? Nerves were beginning to set in—they were the primary reason she had yet to take that leap of faith and just blurt out that she wished to be a Star Dancer; every time she had tried before—going on forty-nine, but who was counting?—she had turned herself around at the doors, told herself it wasn't important, that her request might come off as petulant, that it might seem like too much considering what she already had. She knew that probably half the planet wished to be where she was. Being Crown Princess of a planet left her with little to want for; but she tried not to ask for much, to bring attention to the fact.

The doors loomed before her; how many times had she stood in this exact same spot? How many times had she given up, walked away? (She had heard from a kitchen servant that there was a betting pool going around, people trying to figure out what terrible teeth-gnashing decision made her walk to her father's study in the early morning every so often and just walk away without going in. So far, the top choices were that she'd found a suitor who was undesirable; she wished to run away but couldn't get the courage to say anything; and she had discovered she had some horrible disease that was slowly killing her. Kakyuu had asked the servant how plausible any of the _other _choices were; the answer she'd received in return was somewhat mollifying) She was certain that the sentries hidden from her sight behind the pillars across the hallway had gotten out their tally sheets, marking down 'fifty'.

Silently, she agreed with them—this had dragged on long enough; she had to try now, halfway to one hundred, she didn't want the betting pools to get any more strange than they already were. She took a deep breath, her eyes studying the carved knockers set into the thick wooden doors. The front half of twin rearing unicorns leapt out from the burnished wood, curling over the knockers in a way that made them seem as if they might just come alive at any second. It was the unicorns' eyes that always caught Kakyuu's gaze inevitably; polished glass marbles that reflected a perfect likeness of whoever stood before them.

And it was staring into those tiny unicorns' eyes at the even smaller mirrored eyes of herself that usually turned her back. This was usually where she thought, _What am I doing? Why do I want—need—to be a Star Dancer? Is it really that necessary, Kinmoku already has _three_! _

She forced herself to think of the crystal. She wanted to believe it would choose her; but the truth of the matter was the Kinmoku Crystal hadn't chosen a host in over ten centuries. It was severely unlikely that the planetary jewel had taken a shine to her. After all, she had to think of terms in the crystal—what was she to it? Just one more voice clamoring for its power, and she didn't even have a really good reason, either. All she had was a dream, a dream shared by more than half of the population of Kinmoku, that dream of being a Star Dancer, of glory and magic and the longevity the crystal provided.

Thinking about it like that always made her wonder why she was bothering to do this in the first place.

She thought of the gemstone again, all red edges and soft orange-star's-glow enclosed within its interior—she thought of when she'd seen it, when she'd wanted to touch it to see if she could hold a star in the palm of her hand. Had it been all her, that thought? Could the gem have possibly reached out to her? Could she possibly worthy of the crystal and a Star Dancer's wings and magic?

Fixing that little thought in the forefront of her mind—that maybe, just _maybe_, she was worthy—Kakyuu reached out (she could almost hear the gasps of the sentries, who must have been thinking it would be business as usual) and rapped the knocker to announce her presence before pushing through the doors.

Her father's study wasn't as big as one might expect of a planetary king; it almost seemed like a branch of the archives, with the bookshelves stacked against the walls, the faint light of the early-morning sun streaming in through a window and highlighting the piles of papers, books and the occasional scroll stacked across the desk in neat, carefully ordered piles. She could see him, bent over another paper of some sort—he wasn't quite what people would imagine of a king, either. He had dark hair—Kakyuu had inherited her mother's scarlet hair—and his eyes seemed warm, no matter who he was speaking to. Kakyuu had never heard him argue with anyone; and while he was tall, he wasn't huge, and there wasn't much about him that said 'king'. Even her mother didn't have the "royal air". Rarely, if ever, did Kakyuu see the king of Kinmoku in her father—most days it was simply Father.

"Father?" Kakyuu's voice sounded pitifully small; she swallowed thickly, gathered her nerve, and asked louder, "Father?"

She received a response when her father lifted his weary eyes from the stack of papers before him, setting down his pen and folding his hands across the desk. "Kakyuu! Strange to see wandering around so early—Yoake's just crossed the sun. What is so important that you have to talk about it now?"

Kakyuu fidgeted a moment, her hands fisting into the fine fabric of her dress, meeting his gaze squarely. _I _will _speak my wish—I've waited far too long for this opportunity, and whatever the fallout I'm taking the plunge. _"Father, the Kinmoku Crystal…it has yet to choose a host. Kinmoku has Star Dancers to guard it from harm, but they do not hold the planetary crystal. I—" For a few brief seconds she floundered, mouth going dry, the palms of her hands sweaty from nerves. Then she found the train of thought again. "—I wish to try to become Kinmoku's Star Dancer."

There was a lengthy pause where her father stared at her, surely trying to decipher whether she was telling the truth, and if so, if she meant it, _really_ meant it. She held his gaze, heart hammering in her chest and she prayed he couldn't hear it. Several more frantic beats of her heart passed, and still there was silence.

"Father?" she dared to ask.

Her father let out a long breath. "Kakyuu—" he began, thought better of it, tried again. "Do you realize what you're asking of me? Do you realize what happens to those who _can't _accept the crystal's power?"

"No…" Kakyuu mumbled in a small voice. Though, she knew no one had ever come back from trying to bond to the Kinmoku Crystal. Not a single one who had passed beyond that sanctuary's door had ever returned to see the light of day. She had the feeling the real reason was not good.

Her father's eyes were kind yet firm as he stared at her. "They burned up, Kakyuu," he answered softly, in that dreadful-quiet tone that had always told Kakyuu bad things were coming. "They burned up because they could not control the jewel's energy. Think of if that happened to you! You are our only child; and your mother and I are getting on in years. If you attempted to bond to the crystal and it—killed—you, the other noble houses would bring on civil war, to see who could become the next royal bloodline! We are secure as long as we have an heir, and if that heir chose to sacrifice herself to bond to the crystal and failed…" His voice trailed off ominously.

Kakyuu tried to swallow around the growing lump in her throat. "But…Father…" Her voice failed her; she sucked in a breath and asked in a barely audible but terribly _hopeful_ voice, "But what if the crystal accepted me?"

Her heart sank as her father shook his head once, decisively. "I won't take that chance. No one can tell if they'll be accepted by the crystal beforehand, and we can't take the chance that you won't be. I'm sorry Kakyuu, but I must insist that you not go near that sanctuary. Think of your mother and I—we wouldn't be able to bear losing you, especially if it was as foolish a choice to try for the crystal. Please, daughter, promise me you won't go near that crystal!"

"I promise," she whispered, because what else could she do? Kakyuu dropped her gaze to the floor, studying the patterns on the rug, wanting to say, _I don't think it's foolish_, but she knew her father couldn't see it that way—from all the others who had tried and failed to bond to the Kinmoku Crystal, of course he couldn't see it as anything other than a foolish, dangerous endeavor that could not end well for anyone, certainly not her.

"Thank you for your time, Father," she said hollowly, turning on her heel and heading for the door. She heard him call out after her, but she ignored him and pushed through the doors, emerging into the hallway. The sun had risen fully by now and the sunlight poured in through the wide windows on the east side of the corridor. Kakyuu ignored the sunlight, ignored the muttered whisperings of the sentries behind the pillars—she couldn't be a Star Dancer.

_I can't be a Star Dancer._

Was this what it felt like, to have a dream shrivel and die while you're still holding onto it? She fought past the lump in her throat, her feet increasing their paces till she was almost flat-out running. _I have to get away. _Back to her room—or somewhere else, somewhere where she could defy the events of the morning and attempt to hang onto that little star that had brought her this far.

This fixation upon the hope that maybe, just maybe if she could get away from the scene of the crime, could find a way back to some place undisturbed where she could delude herself that she could still get away with dreaming was why she did not register the approaching footsteps, did not look up until she ran right into something.

Kakyuu stumbled backwards, apology already forming on her lips, when she got a good look at who she'd run into. The girl standing opposite her looked nothing like the servants who scurried about, or even any of the guards. She looked different—and it wasn't just because of her hair that shaded from gold into red; it wasn't just her eyes, reddish-colored like Kakyuu's own, or the garments she wore, an odd yet somehow fitting tunic of gold and red, complete with a cloak fixed over her shoulder, or even the jewelry she had on her—thick golden bracelets each with an inset blue stone, and around her neck a circular blue jewel. It was all of these things and yet there seemed to be something else—something Kakyuu couldn't see—that set this girl apart from anyone else she'd met before.

Kakyuu squinted, and for the briefest second she thought she saw golden armor, glittering in the sun, but it was gone before she got a chance to comment and she half-wondered if she'd imagined it after all. Finally she found her voice and blurted, "Sorry for running into you." A thought grew in the depths of her mind—this was the chance to speak freely to someone who did not know who she was, who did not bow or lower their eyes or speak as if walking on eggshells, as if the slightest possible slip might set her off—for surely this girl was an off-worlder, if not from her manner of dress then simply from the way she _was_.

The girl's red eyes were warm, not angry at all. "I was not watching where I stepped, either. If the fault is partially with you, then it also lies partially with me." She spoke in an odd, formal way; and her voice had a melodic accent that conjured to mind far-off places. Kakyuu was now certain that this girl was an off-worlder—but what business had brought her to Kinmoku—had brought her to the palace of the royal family?

Then Kakyuu's mind recalled that she had not introduced herself yet (all those years of etiquette lessons when she had been so much younger had, it seemed, not entirely gone to waste) "My name is Kakyuu." She extended a hand in the formal greeting ritual and asked, "And you are…?"

There was no flash of recognition in the stranger's eyes at the sound of Kakyuu's given name; and the princess cheered inwardly. Here, finally, was someone she could talk to—but not for long, she suspected. The traveler studied the proffered hand for a moment, as if weighing the choice of speaking her name, before coming to a decision and clasping Kakyuu's hand.

"They call me Galaxia."

The traveler's words (and the strange way they were spoken—_they call_ _me_, not _I call myself_) were almost eclipsed by the shock that accompanied her touch; for the briefest moment the ground was gone, swallowed by a void of endless darkness interspersed with the bright, tiny lights of many, many stars. Kakyuu was staring into the face of what had to be the largest star she'd ever seen in her life; its gravity was such that it pulled clouds of stardust, even the _stars and planets_ around it in a spiraling eddy, a whirlpool in a place of no water, no air.

Then the vision was gone, leaving Kakyuu staring wide-eyed, open-mouthed at Galaxia like she'd suddenly absorbed the sun. "What…" Kakyuu swallowed, almost afraid to ask. "What are you?" She was fairly certain the star she'd witnessed had been the greatest star in the galaxy—named as the Star of Stars to distinguish it from other, more mundane stars. But what kind of connection did the off-worlder have to the Great Star? _How_, more like?

Galaxia didn't appear fazed by the question; had she seen the vision too? The blue pendant dangling from her necklace flickered in the light as she spoke. "I am everything I was made to be, nothing more, nothing less." Her reply was worded oddly—in a way that both answered Kakyuu's question and didn't answer it at all.

Kakyuu sighed to herself, figuring she wasn't about to get a better answer, and settled for asking, "Is there somewhere you're planning on going? I know the layout of the palace better than most. Where are you headed? I can take you there within a good amount of time, depending on the destination." There was that little hint, about how she'd lived here her whole life, but then again—she could've been a servant, too, working in the palace and knowing the rooms and hallways from having to clean them.

Galaxia hesitated a moment. "It is…early, I understand—but would you happen to know where I might find the king at this hour, if indeed he is awake?"

_So she has business with my father_, Kakyuu thought to herself. _She must have come from another planet—there's no way she could possibly be from Kinmoku. She's too…different. _"I can take you there," she said aloud, not mentioning she'd just left that place before running into the off-worlder. "Come with me." She turned on her heel and headed back down the hallway, hearing the footsteps from behind her indicating Galaxia was following her.

Soon enough she found herself back in front of those doors again; but this time she didn't give those little unicorn's eyes a second glance. She had already broached the topic of her dream and had been shot down (she wasn't going to think of it, she staunchly told herself to think of something else, like the Star of Stars) and she pushed through the doors, the traveler following in her wake.

The king of Kinmoku looked up now, his eyes flickering with the beginnings of surprise at Kakyuu's presence, no doubt because she was back so soon. "Kakyuu, what are you—" His voice stopped abruptly as Galaxia stepped out from behind Kakyuu; the princess felt the whisper of air as the traveler passed her by.

Confusion flashed across her father's face before realization set in—_He must know who she is_, Kakyuu thought suspiciously, as he spoke. "Ah! I did not expect you had arrived so soon…welcome to Kinmoku." Now the little thought was wailing for attention—_Who is she, really? Why is she here?_

Her confusion must have been written across her face, plain as day, because her father took one glance in her direction and returned his gaze to Galaxia. "You may as well drop the glamour. Show my daughter what you are." At the announcement of Kakyuu's status the traveler turned slightly, her eyes sympathetic. "My most sincere apologies, Princess," she intoned softly, and her hand rose, tracing an unfamiliar rippling design in the air.

_Star Dancer magic! _Kakyuu's mind yelled, as the air wavered around the figure of Galaxia, bending and twisting; there was a blur against the air, a bright gold-white light like a star's, and then Kakyuu could see properly once more. Only the traveler was gone.

In her place stood a Star Dancer.

She wore the golden armor Kakyuu had glimpsed before—the reality slipping through the cracks of an illusion—and her bracelets remained on her wrists, the same shade of gold as the armor, a shade lighter than the gold color of the top portion of Galaxia's hair. The blue gemstone which had been a necklace was now a brooch, still perfectly circular, though now the depths of the crystal shone with a faint light, like that tiny star Kakyuu had fleetingly seen in the heart of the Kinmoku Crystal. Brilliant white-feathered wings spread outwards from her shoulders in sweeping arcs. And gracing her forehead, the circlet of every Star Dancer, emblazoned with the unique symbol of a spiral flowing outwards from a circle.

Gazing upon that symbol, Kakyuu now understood the name—_Galaxia_, it meant 'of the galaxy' in the old tongue; and she knew from her lessons that their galaxy was a spiral, and at its heart was the Star of Stars. Just as every inhabited planet had a Star Dancer crystal, just as every inhabited moon, every satellite star had a crystal, so too did the Star of Stars. Kakyuu had heard tales of the galaxy's Star Dancer—never expected to ever meet her, ever be within the same planetary system as her. She had never known the Star Dancer's name—the Star Dancer who owed no planet her allegiance, who followed the call of the Heart of the Galaxy to wherever it might lead her.

Never had Kakyuu ever expected to be face to face with such a legendary being. Never in her life—_and here she was_, standing not five paces away; the princess could have reached out and touched her, if she wished_. _Kakyuu's mouth opened, closed; her voice had gone silent in the face of such an event. Her mind buzzed with questions, the most foremost being _What kind of terrible thing has brought the galaxy's Star Dancer to Kinmoku?_

She cast her gaze desperately to her father, thoughts screaming _Why? _but lacking the words to express her intent. She settled for alternating desperate with a shade-too-awed looks in Galaxia's direction, with a slight hint of fear—rumors had it that with the wave of her hand, the energy within Galaxia could unmake a planet.

Such great power was not to be trifled with, not to be angered.

Her father looked slightly unhappy, his brow furrowed, eyes schooled into careful guardedness. Clearly he hadn't intended for her to find out about whatever the reason the Star Dancer was on Kinmoku this way, but he took this in stride, explaining quietly, though his voice carried easily to Kakyuu, who felt as if her ears were on hyper-alert. "You know, Kakyuu, that Kinmoku is a large planet. Larger than most; and the Starlights are spread thin as it is. They are bound to protect the planet, but they have the additional task of protecting the royal family, as well. Kinmoku's sun has no crystal and therefore no feasible Star Dancer. All others have their own planets to protect—all save one."

Kakyuu nodded half-heartedly, waiting semi-patiently for him to get to the point.

"Of all the Star Dancers across this galaxy, only the one hosting the power of the Star of Stars is truly free to go where she pleases. I managed to contact her recently; she agreed to take on the Starlights' task of guarding the royal family, to give our Star Dancers more time to devote to their primary task."

Kakyuu almost said, _But if you've gotten the galaxy's Star Dancer here, why not make her protect Kinmoku instead, since she's so powerful? _But she realized immediately the fault in that line of thinking—Galaxia was, after all, sworn to no planet and by protecting the planet as a whole she would be allegedly aligning herself and her power with Kinmoku; not to mention the fact that the Starlights' primary task as keepers of Kinmoku's satellite stars' crystals was to protect the planet. Their original duty was to the planet, not necessarily to its ruling family. They were well known by the people of Kinmoku; they were not off-worlders. Though they were admittedly weaker than the galaxy's star-warrior, there were three of them, and they could cover more ground without having to have one of them stay behind in case of an attack.

So yes, she could see why her father had come to this conclusion—but what she really wanted to know what why he thought this was necessary. Did he think Kinmoku could be attacked in the near future? Who would want to? There were no other planets in their system, and the next system with inhabited planets was some distance away. She kept these thoughts to herself, however, filing them away under a mental note to ask her father about it later, when she could catch him alone.

She turned her gaze back to the Star Dancer, who stood solemnly in place beside the door, her wings folded at her back, though Kakyuu could still see the feathers that couldn't quite manage to hide behind her back—blazing white against dark brown made for extreme visibility; and Kakyuu had to choke down the surge of jealousy. Galaxia could _fly_.

She forcibly ignored those thoughts too, taking a pace forwards so that she stood before the Star Dancer. (She was slightly gleeful to note they appeared relatively the same height) Galaxia's eyes were carefully blank; and Kakyuu wondered idly what she thought of this—what she thought of _her_.

Kakyuu held out her hand. "We haven't been properly introduced, so it seems. I'm Crown Princess Kakyuu of Kinmoku."

Galaxia's gaze flashed to her hand, as it had when they'd first run into each other; after that same moment of hesitation—why was she hesitating?—she took the proffered hand. "Star Dancer Galaxia," she replied, her circlet flashing faintly.

Kakyuu gave her a look that said _I've almost forgiven you for making me think you were slightly normal_, as she echoed her father's words:

"Welcome to Kinmoku."


	2. How the Light Shines

_Author's Note: _So, this is the next chapter—in only a month and a couple weeks, surprisingly enough. I think my record of updating my stories is improving (however slowly). I haven't got much to say, except that this chapter was written over the course of two days, so I'd like to know if it seems…rushed. Thanks, and enjoy reading!

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Star Dancer

_Part Two: How the Light Shines_

_The light shouldn't be this bright._

Kakyuu walked slowly down the hallway, glaring at the image of her reflection in the tile floors. The sadness of losing her dream had faded to be replaced by bitterness. _The light shouldn't be this bright_, she thought again, knowing, somewhere in the back of her mind, that she was being selfish in wishing that all of Kinmoku—or at least the palace—was consumed with rain to match her mood.

She could hear the feather-light steps of Galaxia behind her; she supposed she could now consider the Star Dancer her personal shadow. Unbidden, the thought of the Kinmoku Crystal rose in her mind and angrily she batted it away; white feathers flashed in and out of her thoughts and she cursed under her breath for her weakness; the Star Dancer dream had been her everything, and now—

_Gone._

"Princess." Galaxia's voice interrupted Kakyuu's thoughts, thankfully preventing her from sinking back into that sadness. The red-haired princess half-turned to meet the gaze of the golden Star Dancer; with her wings folded as tightly against her back as they could go—enough to hide the bulk of the white feathers so that Kakyuu could ignore those few that poked out from behind her shoulders—Galaxia could almost be taken for a simple palace guard. Though the palace guards of Kinmoku did not wear gold, the idea was close.

Watching the wings brought them to Kakyuu's attention and the sore spot that was the fact that the girl was, in fact, a Star Dancer; she looked instead at the spiraling symbol on Galaxia's circlet, how it was formed of simple lines and yet showed the galaxy so well. "You don't have to hold your wings back like that." It had to be painful, she knew that much.

Galaxia tilted her head slightly. "They make you unhappy," she observed. "As I cannot remove them, and the glamour spell will only work once, I am left with having to make them as small as possible."

Kakyuu forced herself to look at the white plumes framing Galaxia's shoulders. _Forced_—such a harsh word, she knew; they were just wings, after all. What harm could they do to her? "It's—fine," she managed to say, staring at those feathers as if she could bore holes into them with her eyes. "I'm—fine."

Galaxia raised one eyebrow pointedly. "You are not," she murmured, "but I cannot help you. The battles you fight with yourself can only be resolved by you. Your wish to become a Star Dancer—how you come to terms with it must be your own choice."

Kakyuu stared at her face now, wide-eyed; she could feel her own jaw drop in surprise. "How did you—?" Star Dancers couldn't read minds, could they? She couldn't remember having read about anything of the sort, but who would write about such an ability when it could be an advantage in a battle, could be the turning point in a war? And if Galaxia _could_ read minds—how much did she _know_?

Galaxia smiled faintly, reaching out a hand to lightly touch Kakyuu on the forehead; Kakyuu felt her skin tingle where the Star Dancer's fingers had brushed her skin, and she wondered if Galaxia had done something to her. The Star Dancer's voice filtered into her ears: "It was written in the stars."

Kakyuu blinked slowly, coming back to herself. "Written in the stars? Are you sure?"

Galaxia did not offer a direct answer, merely inclined her head slightly. "Whether you believe or not is entirely your choice. But—you should remember that dreams are very powerful. You should not give up on yours just yet."

Kakyuu felt a frown cross her face. "It doesn't matter." She turned away, continuing on down the hallway. She heard the Star Dancer's footsteps tread slowly after. For a long moment they simply walked; Kakyuu didn't know where she was going, and to be honest she didn't really care. As long as it didn't go past the door to that singular staircase that led deep below the palace to the sanctuary of the Kinmoku Crystal; and as long as her path did not cross that of the door leading to her own chambers, because she would rather not have a crying fit at the moment, she was trying to make a somewhat good impression—she would be fine, she could just keep telling herself that, it would be her mantra.

She would be fine. Her dream didn't matter. She'd been refused—it didn't matter.

_Did. Not. Matter._

She swallowed thickly. Who was she kidding? Her dream _did _matter—_still _mattered; she couldn't just push it into a corner and forget about it, not when she'd devoted so much of her thoughts towards it. Even now, the jewel formed of Kinmoku's core called to her, conjured by her thoughts, floating just tantalizingly out of her reach. Kakyuu's hands fisted in the fabric of her dress. Why couldn't it leave her alone? Was it taunting her because it knew she would fail?

Something threaded through her ears then—something that was like a melody, but had no audible notes; it was music that echoed through her mind, that twisted and curved and _found _something, something hidden deep inside her, something she'd buried so far she'd thought it could never be found again. That feeling welled up inside of her, that feeling of awe and beauty and abstract fascination that had accompanied her first sight of the red gemstone far below their feet—it filled her and she swiveled slowly around to find the source of the familiar not-song-melody.

Galaxia was standing a few paces behind her; the Star Dancer had her eyes closed and her hands cupped around the blue crystal at her chest—it glowed softly, pulsing as if it had a heartbeat. Her wings were no longer folded at her back—she'd taken Kakyuu at her word, and the feathered limbs now arced above the blond-red-haired girl's head, leading feathers outstretched as if they could touch the ceiling (the ceiling was far too tall for that)

And that melody, that rhythm that was not a song and yet was at the same time—it was emanating from the sapphire gemstone, and like the Kinmoku Crystal before it, its song flowed into Kakyuu and beckoned her closer, invited her to hold it in her hands and taste the power of the Star of Stars, to have the might of an entire galaxy swirling at her hands.

Kakyuu stepped closer, till she stood before the Star Dancer. Galaxia made no move to acknowledge her; but standing there, the princess of Kinmoku could _feel _the blue jewel's call, its melody pulsing through her ears and her mind and her heart. "It sings," she whispered, quietly enough so that the Star Dancer might not have been able to hear her.

But Galaxia's head moved in a faint nod. "It is called the Saffer Crystal," she responded, just as softly. Kakyuu looked into the facets of the azure jewel and nodded; it was a good name, it meant 'Sapphire' in the old tongue. She supposed the Heart of the Galaxy's crystal could not simply be called 'the Star of Stars' Crystal', because that would be too much of a mouthful to say. _Saffer Crystal_ was much simpler. She wondered if Galaxia had been the one to come up with the name, or if it had been given to her already named.

"It sings," Kakyuu repeated, staring at the round gemstone and thinking she might like to see if holding it would let her hold the Star of Stars in her hands. But she did not ask; she simply raised her eyes to Galaxia's—the Star Dancer's had opened once Kakyuu had spoken—and said, "It is beautiful." More beautiful than anything that could be found on a planet's ground—and it could possibly outshine even the Kinmoku Crystal, which, in Kakyuu's mind, there had been no parallel for.

Galaxia bowed her head. "You are kind, Princess," was all she said, dropping her hands from the crystal, and the melody in Kakyuu's ears dimmed but did not completely fade. She was almost grateful for that, to be able to cling to that wondrous feeling and attempt to pretend, just for a little while, that the events of the morning had not occurred, that her dream had not been shattered like glass so that she would be left to pick up the pieces and wonder how to keep on with her life when she'd relied so heavily upon that dream.

_A Star Dancer. _Kinmoku's _Star Dancer._

She sighed softly to herself and turned, realizing they'd come to a deserted courtyard during her walk to all places nowhere. Kakyuu wandered out into the sunshine, knowing the Star Dancer would follow (shadow, indeed) and stopped at the center of the courtyard. The sun was high in the sky, and if she squinted she could see the rising smaller, more intense glow that was Hiru, signaling noon was on its way. Not for a few hours, though. The stars' progression across the sky always seemed slow.

Kakyuu felt the Star Dancer stop beside her. She felt the faintest brush of feathers as Galaxia's wings retracted, folding back neatly against her shoulders. Still staring up into the sky, watching the sun and the middle satellite star arcing upwards into the heavens, Kakyuu asked, quietly, "Could you—_would_ you—show me some Star Dancer magic?" She tried to make it so Galaxia could refuse the request; though she wasn't certain she had completely quelled the longing in her voice.

And, really, all this talk of Star Dancers—asking about the magic—it wouldn't help her forget the dream was broken. It wouldn't help her forget…but, buoyed by the feeling produced by the song of the star-crystal and the echo of her planet's own gemstone—she no longer cared to _forget_, she wanted to bask in the light of the crystals, to see the magic that burned at the core of every star-warrior—she wanted to see it, _experience_ it, even if she could never hold that power herself.

She was certainly digging herself a very deep hole, but she refused to think of that, refused to think of anything but the promise of magic, the promise of power as sung by the Saffer Crystal.

Galaxia was still; even her wings did not move. It was as if she had turned to stone; and Kakyuu had to look, had to see if the Star Dancer had suddenly become a statue. But no, Galaxia was still living flesh, though she too gazed into the sky, as though she could see something there, something that Kakyuu couldn't. Perhaps she could see beyond Kinmoku, to the center of the galaxy where the Star of Stars burned. At long last she turned away from the sky, meeting Kakyuu's eyes. "As you wish."

Kakyuu stepped back several paces to give her room. Surprise stirred in her heart; she hadn't thought Galaxia would accept. Was it because Kakyuu had heard the Saffer Crystal's melody? Was it because she had seen the Star of Stars when they had first run into each other—literally?

Galaxia turned in place, her wings spreading out from her shoulders, folding about her. The Saffer Crystal blazed to life, and with it came the joyous song, winding through the courtyard, bringing a smile to Kakyuu's face, though she knew not why the melody gave her such—a feeling of being complete. It was so like the Kinmoku Crystal's call that for a moment Kakyuu let herself fall into the music, feeling the emotion fold about her like a blanket to keep her safe from reality.

Looking back on it, Kakyuu was never quite sure what Galaxia did first—the signs that were prominent in Star Dancer magic blurred into a swirling dance; golden light that flickered like fire shimmered across the stone floor. Tendrils of curling light coiled about Kakyuu; held into the song of the blue jewel, she was unafraid; her heart swelled in her chest till she thought she could not contain this feeling within her. She trailed her fingers through the living magic, laughing at the tingling sensation that filled her as she stared in wonder at the streams of molten gold light, spiraling outwards from the shining figure of Galaxia to brush against the corners of the courtyard and bounce back, gravitating towards Kakyuu.

"How the light shines," she breathed, "Such magic!" Kakyuu had never seen such beautiful light; the brief image of the Star of Stars was nothing to this power, to this light that warmed like fire, that left her skin buzzing, her heart hammering and her mind reeling—and the song, the soft undercurrent of the most achingly beautiful music Kakyuu had ever heard. Kakyuu could listen to the music born of the Great Star's Star Dancer gemstone all day. She didn't think she'd ever tire of listening to it.

She realized that she could no longer see the courtyard's stone walls, or even feel the smooth cobblestones beneath her feet. The golden light had solidified into tiny sparks of fire, and all around her swept a misty, circling cloud, like layers of colorful fog banks forming a spiral. The lights were everywhere in her vision, glowing and burning on endlessly—but their little lights were swallowed by the blazing light of the star before Kakyuu.

It was immense, taller than the palace on Kinmoku, maybe higher even than the roof of the sky. A thought drifted across her mind—_Fire burns_—but she felt no fear. The Star of Stars might burn everything it touched—it was condensed fire and energy and possibly even a little magic thrown into the mix—but Kakyuu remembered the star at the core of the Saffer Crystal, the star enclosed within the gem that was the Kinmoku Crystal.

She remembered how badly she wished to hold a star in her hands.

She spread her arms, knowing she could not possibly contain it in its immensity; something in the depths of the star shined back to her, and she caught a glimpse of herself, hair flying in a wild tangle behind her, her eyes alight with wonder, filled to the brim with the reflection of the Heart of the Galaxy.

Her hands found the smooth surface of the Saffer Crystal; felt it pulse beneath her hands. And then the Star of Stars filled her sight, it opened to swallow her whole—

_She was burning, burning and yet not dying. _

White fire flowed about her in a rhythmic dance, beating in tune to the galaxy gem, and the Saffer Crystal itself had become warm in her hands; was this the little star harbored at the heart of every Star Dancer's crystal? This brilliant warmth that fell about her in waves as if it could wash her off her feet—and yet, she could sense the terrible great power contained within the crystal—how could the Saffer Crystal hold in the Heart of the Galaxy? Why was it not breaking? Why was Galaxia not being torn apart by the sheer weight of the energy within her?

The lights of the stars, so distant, were spinning in a wild eddy about Kakyuu's head, and the Star of Stars' burning energy poured into her from her contact with the Saffer Crystal. She thought she heard Galaxia's voice, somewhere within the pounding song of the galaxy—_My gift to you, so that you may make your choice._

"_Gift_…" she echoed, in a voice that was barely above a whisper. Kakyuu clung to the blue crystal, clung to it with all she had as the Star of Stars raged about her, filling her with an alien yet also _familiar _power. It filled her body, and she felt as if she had become taller than a planet. She rose above the galaxy, looking down at all the little stars and the little planets and moons, and the even smaller figures of their inhabitants. She _was_ the Star of Stars, she was the _galaxy_—her eyes found an incoming meteorite and without even realizing it, she had destroyed it while never even lifting a finger, watching the fragments of rock fall into a shower in the atmosphere of a distant blue planet.

Kakyuu felt the energy leap within her, coursing through her veins—she could taste lightning and fire all mixed together—and as she looked down upon the galaxy she thought of how easy it would be to destroy a planet. How easy it would be to wipe the entire galaxy from existence.

_NO!_

She fought back against the thoughts—_I am not a destroyer!_—and dug her fingers into the Saffer Crystal that she could not see, her anchor to her own true world, and she felt something jerk at that—her mind was whirling, the white flames at the heart of the Great Star pushing onwards, but she was not enough for it—she could not hold that much raw star-energy, her mind was screaming, _it was too much_—

And then bright sunlight hit her eyes and she was _not_ burning, _not _destroying, she was on Kinmoku, her planet, her _own planet_, she was _not_ beyond the galaxy—Kakyuu took in a shuddering breath, never more relieved to be herself in all her life; and she abruptly realized that her fingers were still coiled tight against the Saffer Crystal, which had gone dark, no longer displaying the Star of Stars—and that it was indeed still attached to its Star Dancer. Their faces, hers and Galaxia's, were only inches apart.

"Sorry," Kakyuu whispered, feeling it wrong to speak any louder, to even more so break the silence that had fallen now that the song of the crystal was no longer streaming through the air. "I…got a little lost." The Heart of the Galaxy was too powerful. Its energy, now that she had experienced it, frightened her—its call was too powerful to either ignore or resist. She would like to hear the song of the crystal again, yes—but not at the cost of becoming host to that savage energy. _It was too much._

Carefully she loosened her fingers from the sapphire gemstone, feeling the thudding fast pulse of its heartbeat against her hand beginning to slow. Her hand fell back to her side, and she tried to surreptitiously shake off the tingling sensation in her fingertips as she stepped back a few paces. "What…was that?" she asked, still quietly even though they were now further apart.

Galaxia's wings flared out from her shoulders before settling back. The gold of her circlet glowed against the sunlight. "That…was a portion of the energy within the Heart of the Galaxy."

Kakyuu's eyes widened and she looked at the Star Dancer in open-mouthed disbelief. "You mean—that wasn't _all_ of it?" Surely that energy _had_ to have been all of it! Kakyuu had never felt such all-consuming power!

But Galaxia shook her head once. "It was…" she hesitated, frowning, as if trying to think of a way to put it into words Kakyuu would relate to. "It was—some—_most_—of the power. Not—_all_, but…most. You found…more than I expected. You—connected?—to the crystal, and it…it responded. It showed you—what you wanted? The might of the power of the galaxy. Another in your place would have burnt up beneath the burden of that much power."

Kakyuu's legs trembled and she sat down abruptly to prevent herself from falling rather ungracefully to the stones. "I don't know…what I wanted from the crystal," she said hollowly. _What _did _I want it to do for me? Give me the power of a Star Dancer? _But she knew—that _was _what the Saffer Crystal had done. She had reached out to it, asking—no, begging for the power—and it had given it to her. Never mind that she couldn't harness it to her will. Never mind that she had almost considered destroying a planet—destroying the whole galaxy. The Saffer Crystal had found that desire for Star Dancer magic within her, and it had answered her wish.

Kakyuu looked up, found Galaxia's eyes. "What did you mean…that another person would have burned up in my place?"

The galaxy Star Dancer shifted from foot to foot. "Ah…the crystal offered you the Star of Stars' energy. You accepted it, yes, and you were unprepared for the massiveness of the energy—but it could only give you so much, as some must remain in the Saffer Crystal. It can never run dry." Kakyuu didn't ask why that was, because she imagined, at this time, Galaxia wasn't prepared to tell her the reasoning. She listened as Galaxia continued. "You—you wished for the power that it could give to you, and…you _contained_ it." She sounded almost…_surprised_?

Kakyuu let out a bark of startled laughter at the irony. "I _couldn't_ contain it." She shook her head, her hands curling into fists, her fingernails digging into her palms at the memory. "It was—_everywhere_. I couldn't stop it. I…for a moment I wanted to _destroy the galaxy_." She hung her head, her cheeks coloring at the shame of the thought.

"But you did not do such a thing." Galaxia's voice sounded almost—eager. "You did not let the Star of Stars' energy control you. You retained your sense of self, Princess, however limited—you could still feel the Saffer Crystal, even lost to the stars."

Kakyuu thought this over silently. She _had _been able to know that she was holding onto the blue jewel, though the Star of Stars' power had been burning about her. She recalled the burning-yet-not-burning feeling that had accompanied the rush of energy from the Star Dancer's gemstone—it may have been too much for her to control…but she had been able to keep her sanity intact. She had somehow been able to survive the heart of the Saffer Crystal.

"How?" she said instead, staring into the depths of Galaxia's eyes, searching for something there that might give her some answers. "_How_ did I survive? Why could _I_ withstand the power—if you say others would not have been able to do the same?"

Galaxia's eyes narrowed faintly. "I do not know," she began cautiously. "I—it is…strange. In all my travels to other planets, I have never met one who could come close to bearing the power of the Star of Stars without being destroyed by its fire. Although…perhaps you are more suited to fire than others would be. I understand that your name means 'Fireball' in the old Kinmokan language. But a name does not tell of a power, not unless you received that name _after _you have received your ability, as I did."

"It would be too much of a coincidence to have a name like yours and wield the power of the galaxy as well," Kakyuu agreed. "But—who gave you your name, Galaxia? What planet were you born on?"

"The Star of Stars gave me the name I bear. As for the planet I was born on…I was not born on a planet. To be truly without ties to any celestial body save for the Heart of the Galaxy—I was created to be a Star Dancer, a vessel for the power of the Star of Stars. I am the only created Star Dancer in existence. All others are formed from an existing inhabitant of a planet bonding to the planetary crystal—or lunar or stellar crystals, as could be the case."

Galaxia didn't sound extremely concerned about it, but Kakyuu stared. Not having a planet—did that mean Galaxia had never celebrated her name-day? She had no family, that much was clear—"That sounds awfully lonely," the princess blurted out.

"Aye," was Galaxia's soft reply. "But—the traveling helps."

Kakyuu watched her a long moment. "How can that _help_?" she asked, struck by a sudden flash of insight. "How can you go to other planets, knowing all their Star Dancers can't measure up to your power, knowing that no one else in the galaxy can possibly understand your power? Why do you do it?"

Galaxia smiled sadly. "You are wise, Princess, to see that so soon after meeting me. Even though I know that no other Star Dancer's power comes within half of mine—I suppose…it is better to be alone in the galaxy and not be lonely than it is to suffer the centuries by myself."

Kakyuu looked at her hands, remembering the feel of the Saffer Crystal beneath her fingers. How powerful and small it was, and how its song had found its way to her heart. She looked back up to the Star Dancer standing in a beam of pale sunlight, her wings drooping from her shoulders, the longest feathers just brushing the ground. The galaxy sigil stood out in its golden splendor; the Star of Stars had to be the loneliest star in the galaxy, the biggest and yet none of the other stars, spawned from the spirals of stardust spinning outwards from the gigantic star, could hope to be the same. They were the tiniest sparks being compared to a blazing wildfire, through no fault of their own.

She thought carefully, quietly, cautiously, turning over the information she knew in her head. "Planetary crystals…they're weaker than the Star of Stars, than your Saffer Crystal."

"Yes."

Kakyuu sucked in a breath. Really, she shouldn't go there, shouldn't even _allow_ herself to hope—but if she could hold on to her mind with most of the Star of Stars' energy raging through her_—surely she could control Kinmoku's crystal! _She tried to stamp down that seed of hope, because hoping too much had devastated her before, but the dream couldn't be stopped—it was, as she had made it so, her everything.

Her heart beat a little faster. Could she dare to dream that being a Star Dancer was not so far out of her reach? She had tasted the power of the Heart of the Galaxy and emerged alive. She had—somewhat—held the galaxy's star in her hands and survived. The Kinmoku Crystal had called to her once before—surely, it could do the same again. Tiny strains of the song that was the Kinmoku Crystal's melody, as well as that of the Saffer Crystal only slightly altered, echoed through her mind. Thinking of the music and the magic and the _life _that had been shown to her through the blue gemstone made up her mind.

Kakyuu stared into the golden Star Dancer's eyes and asked, so very quietly, "Could you teach me Star Dancer magic?"


	3. Show Me Everything

_Author's Note: _Not much to say, except, like the last one, this chapter was written over the course of two days. I hope that doesn't take anything out of it. Enjoy.

* * *

Star Dancer

_Part Three: Show Me Everything_

_I want to _learn_. I want to learn Star Dancer magic—_

Kakyuu stopped thinking abruptly, recalling her thought of Star Dancers and being able to read minds. She wanted to make sure Galaxia came to her decision of her own will, not having to agree if Kakyuu ordered her to do so—she didn't want it to seem like a chore.

The galaxy Star Dancer had begun walking in a large circle—pacing, thinking? She had an unreadable look on her face, and it was impossible for Kakyuu to tell which side she was leaning towards—and then Kakyuu realized there was a distinct possibility the Star Dancer might refuse. She had not considered it, had only thought of what might happen when Galaxia agreed—but she did not take into account what she would do if the Star Dancer declined.

Kakyuu was attempting to remove the seedling of _hope _that had grown in her mind, not so much succeeding, when she heard the light footsteps of Galaxia approaching her. "Princess."

She looked up carefully into the Star Dancer's guarded eyes. She heard the voice as Galaxia asked, "This is what you wish?" And that hope, that she had almost-just-succeeded in pushing away from herself, it came back in full force. Kakyuu wrestled with the feeling a moment before she lifted her head. The Kinmoku Crystal, she heard it singing in her mind, and it was what provoked her—it and the suddenly very tangible dream—to answer, softly, "Yes."

Galaxia appeared almost thoughtful, as she sat slowly on the stone floor and gestured for Kakyuu to do the same. Numbly, the princess followed suit, folding her hands across her lap. What could she think now?

"Do you—" the Star Dancer began, thought better of it. "_Can _you touch your magic?"

Kakyuu blinked, for a moment surprised. "I have magic?" But of course, she must—how else could she have dived into the heart of the Star of Stars and survive most of its energy?

"Every species that hosts a Star Dancer crystal has some small innate magic," Galaxia explained—Kakyuu suspected this was the beginning of one of her undoubtedly many lessons upon the doings of Star Dancers, and their magic, and their way of life. "Few, if any, are able to properly connect to such magic if they have not touched a crystal born of the core of a planet or moon or the heart of a star. The crystals serve as a—a gateway to the power.

"You have proven your mettle at withstanding the force belonging to the Star of Stars. However—you allowed the energy to come into you, instead of simply touching it. You bypassed the point where your own magic could have awakened; otherwise, there would have been more resistance to the Heart of the Galaxy besides your own mind." Galaxia eyed her. "You understand?"

Kakyuu sat very still, playing the words over in her mind. "You want me—to _touch _the magic. Not…throw myself in." That was the closest phrase she could think of to describe what she'd done, diving into the Star of Stars, letting it swallow her and consume her in its wild energy—

The Star Dancer nodded once, interrupting the direction of Kakyuu's thoughts. The princess of Kinmoku stared down at her hands, recalling the feel of the Saffer Crystal; how smooth, how warm it was, the fluttering pulse to it that reminded her distinctly of a heart's beating. Slowly, she nodded, glancing to take in the image of the sapphire jewel, so docile. She steeled herself and stretched out her hand, willing it not to shake, and laid her palm against the surface of the crystal.

Almost at once the galaxy gem reacted; Kinmoku was swept away and Kakyuu stood once more before the gigantic Star of Stars. She would not let it control her, no matter how the song wove through this great expanse of space, rolling through the star-filled clouds. She kept one hand firmly at her side; the other, she reached out with, daring to drift closer to the star, to feel its heat on her face.

And as she held out her hand to the Star of Stars, she was aware of a _light_, a beautiful, white-gold light that flowed about the greatest star in the galaxy—and yet she knew, with fearsome clarity, that this light did not belong to the Star of Stars. This light was of another nature—familiar, strikingly similar to the star, but it was not the same as the fiery light that the star bathed the area surrounding it in.

Kakyuu hesitantly passed her hand through the strange light, and it filled her with such happiness, such warmth, that she couldn't help but smile. It clustered about her consolingly, and she got the feeling it wanted to help her—whatever it was. She let it wash over her, comforting her; then she pushed onwards, and her fingers passed through the light and straight into the fire that composed the Star of Stars.

She was burning again and yet not. The light shielded her, for the most part, and so she only felt that tingling sensation run down her arm and fill her, as if a tendril of flame had escaped the star and had now attached itself to her; she could feel the warmth of the inner flame radiating from her body. _Is this what magic feels like?_

Kakyuu pulled herself away from the Star of Stars before the song could convince her to leap. The light followed after her for a moment, circling about her almost anxiously. "It's all right," she told it softly. "I'm all right." Well, her arm was somewhat numb, but that was better than what one could expect for sticking your hand into a star. She smiled when she felt that glow, that radiant little spark that the galaxy star had unearthed in her. She was better than _all right_. "Magic—I have _magic_!"

And she came back to herself suddenly; the loss of the light's warmth was like the skies had opened up and begun raining on her. But the sunlight of Kinmoku was warm, and Kakyuu let her hand fall from the Saffer Crystal, its song dimming in her mind once her contact with it was gone.

Galaxia's voice filtered into her ears. "You know your own magic now, yes? What is it like?"

Kakyuu didn't have to think. "Like a flame," she replied—"Almost like the heart of the star, but…warmer. _Brighter_." She wasn't sure if she was explaining it very well, but the Star Dancer nodded as if she understood—but then again, Galaxia's power did come from a _star_…

"Now that you know your own magic—what is it you wish to learn?"

Kakyuu clasped her hands together, looking into the Star Dancer's eyes, fighting with an impossible question. It came from her mouth anyways, because the crystal and the magic and the _light _had dazzled her too much to keep her thoughts to herself. "Could you—could you show me everything?" A daunting request, but…the Star Dancer _was_ the most powerful of them all. Surely she could…?

Galaxia studied Kakyuu for a long moment, and Kakyuu feared that perhaps the Star Dancer had changed her mind—and so she was so pathetically _relieved_ when the star-warrior's next words were, "Then we shall begin with your namesake—a fireball."

Fire was good. Better than nothing. Kakyuu nodded quickly, watching with interest as the Star Dancer stood, signaling she should follow. Once standing, Galaxia explained, "I am certain you have noticed the amount of symbols used in Star Dancer magic. For now, you need not know the reasoning behind them—you need simply know that they help direct your magic. This is the sign for 'fireball'." She traced an outline in the air, a symbol that somehow embodied the nature of a fireball, born from the sparks of a flame, burning and dancing and filled with light.

Sparks danced away from her fingers and the moment the drawing in the air was complete, it flashed gold and a fireball blossomed in Galaxia's hand, dancing merrily. All in a matter of seconds.

Kakyuu gaped. And then she forced herself to pay attention, watching the movements of Galaxia's hands as she demonstrated again, more slowly. Kakyuu fixed the motions in her mind's eye. She closed her eyes, tried to center herself, tried to think of that little inner flame the Star of Stars had given to her. She opened her eyes.

Carefully, she followed the dancing lines of the symbol, tracing it into the air as she had seen Galaxia do; she focused on the magic within her, thought _Fireball _harshly for added effect. She watched as the symbol flared up a flame-red—a strange contrast to the gold of Galaxia's runes—and then—

Nothing.

Kakyuu stared at her palms in disbelief. Where was the fire? Maybe—maybe she'd seen a very, very small puff of smoke. It might not have been actually there, but—that didn't change the fact that _nothing _had happened. No fireball, no sparks, nothing.

Just a possibly-not-there puff of smoke.

Kakyuu frowned. Maybe she'd been a little too slow? She sucked in a breath, thought of the motions again, tugged insistently on that fire within. She more or less made it through the second time faster, if not a little jerky in the tracing of the sign. Once more it flared up red.

And once more, there was nothing but a (slightly, just a little bit bigger) small plume of smoke rising from between her hands. Not even a little cascade of sparks—not even tiny _embers_!

_Maybe I'm doing this wrong_, she thought to herself. _Maybe I…got the hand motions wrong. There's got to be something I'm not doing right. _She fixed her gaze on Galaxia. "Could you show me again?" she asked meekly. "…Slower?"

This time Kakyuu focused intently on how the Star Dancer formed the symbol for _Fireball_. She watched, and she corrected any tiny, tiny mistakes she'd made in the working of the spell. Not many, she'd remembered fairly decently for seeing it only twice the first time around. She watched as the sparks danced and burst into flame so that the orb of fire seemed as if it were consuming Galaxia's hand; she watched as the Star Dancer released the magic, and the fireball fizzled away into nothingness, leaving behind a small trail of smoke.

Kakyuu took a deep breath, cleared her mind. Had she thought of anything that might have thrown the magic off track? Perhaps. She thought, very singularly, on the way the spell was designed, how each hand motion led to the next. She made sure she knew every single little movement. And, carefully, she let her hands follow those thoughts, and she tried to _will _that little flame inside her to leap out to her hands, to burst into radiant fiery life, to complete her spell.

The _Fireball _rune glowed red against the air. She was prepared for the flash as it dissolved, leaving a nondescript plume of smoke in its place. The smoke _was_ getting bigger, wasn't it? She tried to convince herself that it was. She _wanted _to believe it was, wanted to believe she could work the magic.

Her own failure was still staring her right in the face.

Her shoulders slumped. She sat down heavily on the ground and stared at the curved edges of the cobblestones. She went through the motions one more time—the same result. Smoke, nothing more. Certainly not a fireball. Kakyuu sighed heavily; and even with her own thoughts piling up—_Am I not good enough? Is this all an illusion, that I actually have magic? Maybe…maybe I'm not so special after all…_—she could hear Galaxia sitting opposite her, and she almost couldn't bear to look into the Star Dancer's face, to see what emotion lay in her eyes.

But she did; and she was startled by the kindness that flickered in the depths of Galaxia's eyes—she had expected something closer to pity, that Kakyuu could not perform what appeared to be a simple spell, or anger—but no, there would not have been anger. Anger did not seem to be a part of the Star Dancer's psyche.

"Why—" Kakyuu broke off; fiddled with her hands a moment before speaking again. "Why do you look at me with such _kindness_? I—I couldn't make a fireball light. I couldn't do it! …I failed. I _failed_, so why are you looking at me like I haven't done anything wrong at all?" She wasn't sure what to feel, in the face of this unprepared emotion. All the while her mind was screaming _Why, why?_

Galaxia smiled faintly. "You do not understand magic," she said softly, "if you believe that it can be learned in a day. It takes practice and repetition. You have crossed the most important boundary—unlocking your own magic. You should now realize that every Star Dancer residing in this galaxy has been where you are. Even I."

"You?" Kakyuu stared, shaking her head. "Not even _you_—you said you were created to be a Star Dancer. Doesn't that mean that you already know how to use all of your magic?"

Galaxia raised an eyebrow. "Knowing of the magic and actually _using_ it are two different things." A strange look passed across her face. "Perhaps—it would be better to show you, instead, of the first time I attempted magic." She reached out, and, as she had done when Kakyuu had asked how she had known of the princess's dream of being a Star Dancer, brushed the tips of her fingers against Kakyuu's forehead. Accompanying the now-familiar tingling sensation were images, sound—and Kakyuu understood, as the images grew to surround her, that she was watching a memory.

* * *

_Galaxia was standing in a landscape of rock; she was young, a child, the bracelets on her wrists almost too large for her, the tiny white wings spread at her back similar to the fake wings Kakyuu had seen as a child (and was guilty of wearing, too, for all children who had seen a Star Dancer wished to pretend to be one) The circlet emblazoned with the symbol of the galaxy sat haphazardly on Galaxia's head, as if she were unused to wearing it. _

_As Galaxia turned slightly Kakyuu realized abruptly that this was no planet, as she had been thinking of it as. It was a very large rock, an asteroid, hovering somewhere in the inner spiral of the galaxy, for Kakyuu could see, silhouetted behind the child Star Dancer, the great bulk of the Star of Stars, burning away, and the deep darkness of space and the tiny white pinpricks of light that were smaller stars hovering about everywhere. The spiral pattern of the galaxy was not evident from here; all that could be seen were the clouds of stardust._

_Galaxia tilted her head, as if listening to a voice only she could hear—perhaps it was the Star of Stars, Kakyuu thought, but she would have to ask the Star Dancer herself. Perhaps she had, indeed, learned her magic from the star that had birthed her crystal and, truly, herself as well, as she was a "created" Star Dancer._

_The little Star Dancer turned to face the rock, her face set into fierce concentration. She lifted her hands, tracing a design into the space before her that Kakyuu knew, not sure how, but she knew that the particular symbol meant _Light_. And that, after all, did make sense, for Galaxia was truly a star's Star Dancer, and that aligned her with light and fire. Kakyuu watched as the symbol—all wavy and indistinct, as the nature of light seems to be—gleamed bright gold, a sudden brightness to contrast the dark of deep space._

_But that single flash of golden light signifying the spell's completion was the only light that Kakyuu could see. There was nothing like the massive outpouring of light that older Galaxia had shown to Kakyuu before. The asteroid was still and dark; and the child stood still too, her wings fluttering faintly, glowing in the radiance from the galaxy star at her back._

_The tiny Star Dancer frowned once, fleetingly; before a determined look crossed her face. She tried again, and Kakyuu was getting the odd feeling of knowing what was going to happen next, from her own failure. The flash of gold lit up the craters pitted into the surface of the space rock from meteorite collisions or other asteroids. The dark of space was still dark; with the only light that of the distant and near stars._

_Kakyuu watched as the girl glanced back to stare at the Star of Stars—needing assurance, perhaps? Her wings flicked again from her shoulders, white feathers dyed yellow-orange by the light of the giant star. Galaxia reached up to lightly touch the Saffer Crystal, which Kakyuu could see was not as large as the one in the present, though indeed it did seem larger than one might think on the child, in the same way the bracelets appeared bigger. _

_The touch of the crystal must have given her comfort, or spurred on her drive to use her magic, because Galaxia readied herself and cast the light spell a third time. Kakyuu strained her eyes to see after the spell rune died away—was there a spark? Had she seen something very small that had soon been lost to the darkness all around, consumed by the much brighter lights of the stars?_

_Galaxia was staring very intently at the air in front of her. Had she seen it too? The Star Dancer's eyes narrowed sharply, and the look on her face was something close to anger—at herself? Kakyuu suddenly saw that she knew why the girl was angry; she was a created Star Dancer, this was her sole duty, to be a Star Dancer, to protect the galaxy with her magic, and surely that meant that she should be able to _use _her magic. Galaxia could not see why she could not master her magic easily, if this was what she was _made _to do._

_Her fourth attempt was still no better; and now Galaxia clenched her fists, her wings flapping wildly before subsiding to fold at her shoulders. Kakyuu could see she was trying to calm herself; it was strange, to see Galaxia close to a state of anger when the older Star Dancer Kakyuu knew had never displayed anything like it._

_And yet, clearly, the fact that her magic was unwilling to immediately cooperate was a fact that very much so frustrated the child Star Dancer._

_Kakyuu watched the girl go through the motions one more time—she could almost see the thoughts in Galaxia's mind written on her face, how if it didn't work one more time she was going to _do_ something, something she'd likely regret—_

_The golden symbol faded into nothingness, and the recesses of space, blacker than the blackest night on Kinmoku, were still as dark as ever. The little Star Dancer's spell had failed once more._

_Now, at last, true anger blazed in the child Galaxia's eyes; her hands curled into firsts and then released, her eyes narrowing till they were little more than slits. She reached across to her right bracelet, her hand covering the sapphire gem set into the gold, and she _pulled—

* * *

With a rush the images were gone, shattering like glass into the sunlight of Kinmoku shining down on them; and Kakyuu thought of the memory shown to her. It was surprising to see anger in Galaxia; but then again, she had also been much, much younger, and children were more given to anger than anyone.

Galaxia had tried the light spell five times, and she had failed. Kakyuu had only performed the fireball spell four times and not succeeded. Of course, it was easy for a child to make mistakes—was it so much for someone so much closer to an adult? Kakyuu tried to escape the heavy weight of her failure to utilize Star Dancer magic and focused instead on the end of the memory, how the little Galaxia had removed one of her bracelets. Kakyuu had not seen the outcome—the memory had faded too quickly—but she imagined it was not a good thing.

Her eyes found the thick golden bracelets adorning the Star Dancer's wrists. What were they for? "Galaxia," she questioned, "what do these do?" Daring, she reached across and tapped one of the bracelets; and the _cold _of it was surprising—they had been sitting in the sunlight for some time, surely the gold would have warmed? And yet, it was as if it were crystallized ice.

Galaxia twisted one bracelet around and around. "They are known as _limiters_," she answered, studying the blue gem on the bracelet that was identical to the Saffer Crystal, only smaller in size. "When a Star Dancer joins to a crystal and gains her wings, often the power given to her is too great to immediately control. The limiters are in place so that the Star Dancer can gradually learn to control her entire power. It is considered a…rite of passage when you are able to walk freely without your limiters."

"You say it's a rite of passage…but if so, shouldn't you have already passed by this time, if you've had your magic since birth?" To be honest, Kakyuu wasn't sure if birth was the right word, but she used it anyways. "Why are you still wearing them now?"

"Such is the nature of great power," Galaxia smiled sadly. "Truthfully, I have little control over the full range of my magic. It is—it is too much, as you said. And—if I walked amongst the galaxy with my limiters off, I would likely destroy more than half of the galaxy's inhabited planets just by being near them. Think of the Star of Stars, Princess. You retained your sense of self, but the Star of Stars' energy was too immense for you to do anything about it. It is…something like that. The limiters keep my power at…less than half its full potential. Perhaps less than a quarter. So that I will not destroy planets, so that the galaxy will not die."

"Have you—_ever _taken them off? Both of them at the same time?" Kakyuu was curious; surely Galaxia had, if she knew what the full might of her power was like. Kakyuu had almost witnessed what half the power of the Star of Stars looked like, but the Star Dancer had cut off the memory before she could have seen what removing the bracelets—_limiters_—did.

"Once. But I was—desperate then. I felt I had no other choice. Given the choice, I would do it again, but—" the Star Dancer closed her eyes briefly. "It is—not a good feeling, to not be in control of your own power."

"Why would you do it, then?" Kakyuu tilted her head slightly. "What—what happened?"

"That," Galaxia shook her head briefly, "is a story for another time." She began to stand, and it was in that moment that Kakyuu remembered the light she'd seen in the Saffer Crystal. Galaxia should know what it was, shouldn't she? "What—what about the light?"

"Light?" Confusion flashed across the star-warrior's face.

"The light—when I was in the Saffer Crystal, reaching out to the Star of Stars—there was this…light." Kakyuu knew she wasn't doing a good job of explaining when the look on Galaxia's face did not falter as the Star Dancer said, "All stars exude light, and the Star of Stars even more so."

"No! It was—_near _the Star of Stars, _around _it, but the light _didn't come from the star_! It was—there, but it wasn't a part of the light from the galaxy star. It was—different but similar, and it…wanted to help me." Of that, she was sure. "It kept me from burning when I plunged my hand into the Star of Stars. It—the light _helped _me."

And now, _now_, she saw the light of recognition flicker in Galaxia's eyes. The Star Dancer knew what the light was—but all she would say—again—"That too is a tale for another time."

Kakyuu sighed. Apparently, she had a knack for stumbling upon things she should not know. Not yet, anyways, if what Galaxia was telling her was to be believed. She looked at her hands, abstractedly tracing the symbol for _Fireball _in the air. The flash of red left behind the now-usual little puff of smoke, and the smallest ember of pale orange, glowing on Kakyuu's palm for the briefest moment before flickering out, leaving her to wonder if she'd even seen it at all.

It didn't really matter, anyways—she was not as far gone as she'd thought; she could use magic, and that was something even most people couldn't do. She would work for it, she would try as hard as she could, and someday, that fireball would light. Maybe not tomorrow. Maybe not the next week. But Kakyuu would get there. She _would_.

She calmed herself and looked to the Star Dancer sitting across from her. Galaxia had offered her the gateway to her dream. Someday, Kakyuu told herself, she would repay the star-warrior for this gift. It was more than she could have ever imagined.

"Galaxia," she said, "could you tell me what the other planets are like?"

Galaxia smiled faintly. And she spoke of a planet where there were no continents, only water, and the people there were akin to fish. She spoke of a planet where jungles dominated the land and creatures born of plants and beasts roamed, with wild horns and pale eyes and who could speak to trees. She spoke of fiery planets with scaled creatures of liquid light, formed from lava and the glow of three suns; she spoke of ice planets populated with large many-legged furry beasts that had three hearts. She spoke of a planet with inhabitants who appeared much like the people of Kinmoku. She spoke of a planet with giant insects as its people, and how when a swarm flew it was as if night had descended. She spoke of a planet where the sky was every color of the rainbow, and the people vibrant, strange colors with thick, veined wings and eyes that were as jewels.

Kakyuu sat still and listened, closed her eyes and imagined these fantastic places that appeared molded from the stuff of a child's imagination. She listened to the tales of the galaxy, and the thought of her failure to create a fireball dimmed, till it was nothing at all.

Kakyuu smiled. It was not so bad—she could be a Star Dancer.

And this time, when the jarringly near-tangible hope filled her at the thought of being Kinmoku's Star Dancer, of holding the Kinmoku Crystal—this time, she did not try to smother it.

She basked in the light.


	4. Because You Listen

_Author's Note:_ I should not make promises I can't keep. This is the fourth chapter, after how long? …I updated at the end of June. Several months. I spent some of that time—certainly not all of it; I suppose I'm just a procrastinator—creating a rough idea of what I plan for this story to be, so that I can attempt to make semi-regular updates. Note: _attempt_. I cannot say whether I'll have a lot of time to write, as my last year of high school is bound to get worse.

I will say that I'll try to get out chapters within a few weeks of each other, if not less. I hope not to have a giant lag like this again, but I can't say for sure. This story is projected to be about 37 chapters long, so we have a ways to go. Also, in case anyone was wondering, the Sol system and its Star Dancers (Senshi) _will _appear in this story! Yes, the main characters are Kakyuu and Galaxia, but the others (Usagi and her group) will feature prominently in the next story arc. (You can all celebrate now; I'm not leaving them out) That's all I have to ramble about, so…read the chapter, and if you find typos, please tell me! I'm a grammar Nazi and try to fastidiously check my work, but I am human, so I can miss things!

* * *

Star Dancer

_Part Four: Because You Listen_

_Burn. Burn, fireball—burn bright! Show me fire!_

Kakyuu sucked in a breath, drew the rune in the air, and watched it burn red against the backdrop of uniform gray stone. _Ignite_, she thought fiercely; ever since Galaxia had shown her the spell two days ago, Kakyuu had been working her way up from tiny cinders and embers to sparks. Her last attempt had been particularly morale-raising. She'd gotten a bright burst of sparks—so close to a fire.

The image of the Kinmoku Crystal danced across her mind's eye, and as the red light of her spell faded away into nothingness, Kakyuu carefully let out a long breath. Concentrate. She had to concentrate.

She formed the rune again, focusing now onto the Kinmoku Crystal. She could see it, red diamond gem glowing with that inner light, the little star pulsing faintly with the heartbeat of the planet—for all crystals were formed of the core of the celestial body they came from. She held the _Fireball _sign in her mind, held to it tightly with all her might. She could see the tiny star, growing bigger in her mind's eye, as wild as any flame. Her lips formed the word: _Burn_. It was fire, she was fire, and she released the magic, saw the star pulsate brightly against the shadows of her mind, felt a tingling sensation fill her fingers—

_Fwoosh._

Kakyuu came back to herself, the thick stone walls of their courtyard coming back into focus. Galaxia was standing by the wall, arms folded, watching in silence. For the past two days it had been like this—her watching, Kakyuu attempting valiantly to create a fireball. No words were exchanged—the golden Star Dancer simply observed and said nothing, though occasionally Kakyuu thought she had felt a fleeting touch of star-power, as if Galaxia was still unsure whether or not Kakyuu had retained her little magic.

Kakyuu realized abruptly that her hand was on fire.

The fire was a natural orange as opposed to the red of her runes; it danced across the palm of her hand, merry and bright, and for a long moment Kakyuu simply stared at it and wondered if she'd dreamed this up. If this was a hallucination of her mind, brought on by too many attempts to make the spell _work_. If this was only a dream, if she was still asleep in her rooms, waiting for the new day.

Then she looked up, met Galaxia's eyes; the star-warrior smiled faintly and inclined her head, eyes saying, _Well done. _Kakyuu smiled back and returned her gaze to the fireball. She'd done it. She'd made _fire_! A bubble of laughter escaped her throat, and a thought danced across her mind, of her running to her parents and saying, _See? See? I can do magic! I _can _be a Star Dancer if I try hard enough! I am strong enough, can't you see?_

But she squashed that thought quickly. She wasn't about to go telling her parents that she was planning on breaking her promise to her father, where she'd said she wouldn't go near the Kinmoku Crystal. Also, they might just believe she set herself on fire, and not actually found a way to magically conjure it. They might also believe Galaxia had formed it, if they had a way of sensing Star Dancer magic—which she thought was highly doubtful, but the point was that it was a possibility.

Kakyuu stared wistfully at the flickering flames in her hands before letting the magic go, watching the fireball fade into a small plume of smoke, nothing changed in the scenery to show it had ever been there in the first place. She let her hands fall back to her sides, shaking off the slight numbness in her fingers. "…I can make fire."

"Yes, Princess."

Kakyuu frowned, struck by a sudden thought—_Was it a fluke?_ Hurriedly she formed the sign again, her fingers moving automatically after having practiced it so often—and she felt that faint tug on her inner flame as another fireball blossomed in her hands, beautiful in its orange-yellow splendor, the firelight dancing off the walls and reflecting off the Saffer Crystal, giving it an almost fractured appearance—the light within the sapphire crystal and the light from the fireball alternating, competing almost, highlighting the edges of the star crystal.

She let the fireball go once more and felt the smile returning to her face—it wasn't just beginner's luck. It wasn't a fluke. She had actually _done _it. _She had made a fireball! She had used Star Dancer magic!_

Kakyuu's smile widened. She met the warm gaze of the galaxy Star Dancer, and, spurred by the glow of her accomplishment, the princess of Kinmoku walked to Galaxia and without hesitation wrapped her arms around the other girl; she felt the Star Dancer stiffen in surprise, her voice wavering from somewhere beside Kakyuu's left ear. "…Princess…?"

"Thank you," Kakyuu murmured, feeling the faint pulse of the Saffer Crystal, easily identifiable from its light aura of warmth, pressed against her chest. "Thank you for showing me this. You could have just as easily refused; I—I can't imagine how I could possibly repay you." She stepped back, releasing the Star Dancer from her embrace, at the same time marveling how soft the feathers of the other's wings were. "Is there…anything you might want from me?" She clasped her hands lightly together, tilting her head.

Galaxia studied her, silent for a moment, as if she were still recovering from the sudden display of gratitude; Kakyuu wondered if anyone had ever hugged her before, and, judging from the look on the star-warrior's face, she was guessing likely not. Finally Galaxia murmured, "You have already done something for me, Princess, and it is in that light that I chose to offer you the gift of this choice to make your dream a reality."

Kakyuu could feel her eyebrows furrowing as she frowned. "Me? What have I done?" As far as she was concerned, all she'd done was ask Galaxia to show her Star Dancer magic, and then it had become this; this attempt to harness magic that she had gained by going through the Saffer Crystal. Where in this situation had she done something Galaxia considered worth the gift of choice, of Star Dancer magic?

"Because you listen," Galaxia replied softly, her hands rising and lightly ghosting over the Saffer Crystal's surface. "Because you speak to me as a person, as someone you might find on your own planet, rather than one who holds the power of the galaxy star and is someone who must be feared…because you have shared with me your dream, your wish, and how can I do anything other than help you achieve that goal?"

Kakyuu blinked slowly in surprise; she hadn't realized Galaxia had such a high opinion of her; while it was true, they _had _only met little more than three days ago, but the star-warrior had spent much of her time in Kakyuu's presence, so that when Kakyuu wandered the palace now it would seem strange without her living shadow not more than a step behind.

"I…" She swallowed. "I'm glad you think I'm important enough to warrant this, but…I don't think…" She broke off, wringing her hands awkwardly. "I don't think I'm really worth your acceptance, your time."

"And that is exactly why you are," Galaxia proclaimed, her wings unfolding from her shoulders, stretching to either side of the courtyard, leading feathers brushing against the worn stone. "You are unsure of yourself; you believe your desire to become the true Star Dancer of Kinmoku to be selfish, as the satellite stars have already gained their warriors. But you have the heart of a Star Dancer, and as such you cannot be refused in your quest."

"…You think—you really think that I have the heart of a Star Dancer?"

"Yes, Princess."

Kakyuu stared thoughtfully at the ground—her, the heart of a Star Dancer? "Your belief in me is astounding," she murmured, turning and walking to the entrance of the courtyard, stepping up beside the stone archway. "I think—I have something to show you."

Galaxia raised an eyebrow slightly, but followed after her anyways; Kakyuu had only followed this route once, and that day was several years past now, but she knew it as surely as if she had walked that very same path every day since that first time. The palace hallways passed in a blur, the shadowy figures of servants flickering past, cleaning; she did not stop for the stares directed in her direction, and she pretended to not see the flat-out gawking at the appearance of Galaxia—for that was surely the closest any of them would ever come to the galaxy's Star Dancer.

The wooden door was painted in red, trimmed with gold, appearing much the same as any other door in the palace; but Kakyuu knew this door, knew it led down. The faintest symbol of a diamond, a rudimentary crystal insignia, could be seen against the dark of the wood. She tried the door and found it unlocked, just as it had been all those years before—a sign?

Even so, if it _had _been locked, she would have gotten Galaxia to open the door. She wasn't entirely sure Star Dancers could pick locks, but they could manipulate elements and forces of nature, so why not locks as well? She pushed through the door, pulling a torch from its place on the wall and following the stone steps downwards.

The memory was creeping back on her; it was as if her younger self was walking the steps again, she could see herself in her mind's eye, inquisitive and wide-eyed, hair bound back into a thick braid—her mother's doing—one hand against the wall, trailing across the patterns of bricks, wondering what lay at the bottom.

Kakyuu shook herself, reaching the bottom of the stairs and lighting more of the torches lining the walls, bringing light to the catacombs. The wavering orange light cast hazy shadows across the simple wooden door; but there was no doubt this was where she wanted to be. The design of the crystal was once more prominently displayed upon the wood, though this one was in much better shape than the one leading to the stairs. Curling lines crossed the raised etching of the planetary gemstone, and Kakyuu thought perhaps it was the artist's rendition of magic.

Carefully, she reached out, lightly resting a palm against the door's surface; it did not resist her push, swinging open with barely a creak, and she fell back into a memory.

* * *

_Kakyuu stared up at the door; she'd never seen it before, yet it had a strange—feeling to it, as if it had been waiting here for her. _You've finally come_, something seemed to say. _You're here at last.

_She glanced around, hunting for the familiar figures of guards—but no, she was alone. She had to jump to reach the door handle, but she managed, catching the cold metal in her fingers and pulling as hard as she could. With barely any sound at all, the door eased open, and Kakyuu stared._

_For a moment, she thought perhaps she had stumbled upon some kind of red fire—for the walls, though stone, were awash with a vibrant ruby light—but her eyes then focused on what lay before her. Not fire. At least, not fire as far as she could tell. No, this was a jewel, rather like the kinds of gemstones she would receive in mountains on her name-day each year. _

_She tilted her head, her feet moving slowly, scuffing across the stone floor as she left behind the relative safety of the doorway, the door still open behind her, spilling red light into the hallway beyond. The crystal was a brilliant red, like her hair and her eyes; a thought that pleased her immensely, despite not knowing what the jewel was, or why it was here in this sanctuary, and not above in the light._

_Kakyuu knew this crystal was different, so very different from the gift-jewels she had piled in her rooms. Even if, on the outside, it appeared only as a ruby, an exquisite find—it wasn't the same. It sat at the center of the room, hovering above a carved stone pedestal, emanating the crimson glow that covered the walls. Normal crystals did not give off light, even she knew that._

_She dared to tread closer, within the circle of light around the pedestal; and her eyes opened wide at the sight, magnifying the crystal's beauty tenfold. For, within the interior of the red crystal, she could see a faint orange-yellow glow, at odds with the vermilion color of the gemstone. _

_"What are you?" she breathed, leaning in closer. Of course, the crystal didn't answer, but the tiny glow at its heart flickered, exuding a soft light that faded out the harsh glow of the outer crystal. Staring at that little glow, she was suddenly reminded of watching the satellite stars cross the sun's path, or the glow of the night sky, patterned with splatterings of white-yellow stars, distant planets. _

_The little light within the crystal…it was like a star. A star!_

_Kakyuu's hands rose unbidden from her sides—the crystal held a star! If she held it—could she be holding a star, a real-life star, in the palms of her hands? The red light filled her vision as she reached up, a soft song weaving through her ears. It was an amazing melody, the kind that could bring a smile to one's face immediately, the likes of which she had never heard before; it filled her with wonder, with excitement, with anticipation—but she did not fear the song, she did not fear the strange crystal and its little star. Rather, it felt as if the song had found something within her, stirred a part of her she never knew existed. She focused on the brilliantly glowing jewel before her, its song murmuring in her mind, and her fingers sought that jewel—_

_"Princess! What are you _doing_?"_

_—and she could only watch as it disappeared behind stone walls and wooden doors once more, out of her reach; but she would not forget that crystal. She would not forget that little star. Its song still played in her ears; she had discovered it, and the finding of it had surely taken something from her, just as it was as firmly rooted in her mind, its image always lurking beneath her surface thoughts. _

_It was the crystal of her planet, and it owned her as surely as she longed to own it._

* * *

Kakyuu blinked and the memory was gone, fading back into the ether. It was the same, the room—undisturbed from her last trespassing to this place. The Kinmoku Crystal, in all its wondrous glory, hung still at the center of the room, rotating ever so slowly, its light painting the sanctuary into shades of red. The miniature star at its heart burned on ceaselessly, twinkling at her. It seemed to say, _You've come back? After all these years? I've been waiting for you still._

Was she only imagining that? Truly, could the crystal have been calling to her, all these years?

She stepped further into the room, reminded abruptly of her reason for being here at the sound of Galaxia's light footsteps, at the sight of the Star Dancer standing framed in the doorway, the red light dancing across her face, her blue crystal emitting a soft light as if in contest with the red planetary crystal.

"This—" Kakyuu's voice sounded too loud in this quiet, mystical place; she spoke softer, her hands making messy folds in her skirt. "This is the Kinmoku Crystal." _This jewel, right here, is my dream. _

She was content to stand back until the force of the song came curling into her ears; Kakyuu swallowed and stepped back, pressing herself against the wall, trying her hardest not to look at the red crystal and its starry center, because she knew once she saw it she would not be able to keep herself from trying to touch it. She was not ready for its power. She _wanted_ it, wanted it badly, but she knew, somewhere in the depths of her heart, that if she took it now she would not be able to use it as she wished.

And so she kept herself back, kept her attention solely on the golden Star Dancer as Galaxia approached the planetary crystal.

At that moment, when Galaxia stood before the Kinmoku Crystal, the blue galaxy crystal only inches away, Kakyuu heard the strangest thing—both of the crystals had songs, and she had heard them both, but they had always been separate. Never together. And now Kakyuu strained her ears in disbelief, for the melodies overlapped in places, as if they were _meant _to play at the same time, in the same place, as if…as if the crystals were similar.

But surely they were nothing alike—besides obvious color differences, the Kinmoku Crystal was a planet's crystal, while the Saffer Crystal was born of the greatest star; how could they be anything alike? And yet…and yet their songs were strikingly similar. "How is this possible?" she breathed, looking to Galaxia. "How can the songs be so…alike?"

Galaxia's eyes glittered, the red glow dancing in the depths of her gaze. "I do not know," she replied quietly, eyeing the red crystal before her. "There are many mysteries in this universe we live in…but I shall tell you this: I have never heard a song that sounds…enough like my own star's to be possibly mistaken for it."

Kakyuu locked her gaze on the blue jewel; she _would not look _at the Kinmoku Crystal. She had a stronger will than that, surely! Somewhere in the recesses of the sapphire jewel, Kakyuu saw a golden light—the blue crystal's own 'little star', come to light by the presence of the other crystal.

_I want to hold a star in my hands._

Kakyuu fisted her hands into her shirt, struggling with the impulse to walk to the crystals. Their merged melody could not be ignored; she was drowning in a sea of power and light and sound and pain. She took one faltering step forwards, tried once more to stop herself. Was she so weak-willed that she could not bear to resist the Kinmoku Crystal?

_No_, her mind insisted. _The crystal itself is not the true danger. It's both of them together! The Kinmoku Crystal and the Saffer Crystal together—that's what makes me unable to ignore them! _And then the galaxy's Star Dancer moved, reaching out and cupping her hands over the red crystal, lifting it from its space above the pedestal, and Kakyuu's world tilted jarringly.

She felt as though she had become divided; part of her was solidly standing, feet on the floor, teeth clenched, trying to ignore the songs, and part of her was in the air, buoyed by a power greater than she, answering to no creature within the galaxy. She was both herself and not, feeling a force beneath the ground, a tempest of flowing energy that moved the earth, that could not hope to be contained and yet it _was_—all of that fierce energy compacted within the ruby gemstone, carved from the very core of the planet itself.

"What is this?" she gasped, turning wide eyes to Galaxia; Galaxia in turn was staring into the red crystal held in her hands—though that wasn't quite right. The Star Dancer wasn't touching the Kinmoku Crystal; her hands had purchase on a vaguely circular force field directly around the crystal, enclosing it, keeping it safe from harm. Kakyuu couldn't quite remember ever seeing the field before; though she wondered if perhaps it had appeared because of the presence of the Saffer Crystal and its overwhelming star-energy. Of course the crystal would have found a way to protect itself. "Why is it—" Kakyuu couldn't form the words.

Galaxia slowly turned, as if Kakyuu's words had released her from some sort of trance. "There is surprising power in this crystal," she said, so softly that Kakyuu only just heard her. "Perhaps the full force of this planet might be even with a quarter of the Star of Stars' energy."

A _quarter_? Kakyuu knew, to some, that might sound belittling; but the truth of it was, no planet's crystal could ever hope to measure up to the Star of Stars. Even half of the galaxy star's energy probably couldn't be found within the mundane crystals found throughout the galaxy. To even have a quarter…that was a surprising amount. _No wonder_, Kakyuu marveled. _No wonder it's been in my head all these years. To have a quarter of the Star of Stars' power—it's not even using half of its own reserves now! Even when it's threatened by the Saffer Crystal—is it truly trying?_

She focused back on the blue crystal; her eyes kept straying, trying to fall to the Kinmoku Crystal, but she blocked out the song as best she could, thinking of Galaxia, of the Star of Stars, of her own inner magic, anything to keep the forceful melody at bay.

"I'm not connected to it," she whispered, suspicious suddenly. "Right?"

"You would be correct, Princess." Galaxia carefully returned the Kinmoku Crystal to its former place, and Kakyuu felt that strange, divided feeling again, of being in two different places at once, of feeling the energy of the planet churning beneath its surface, dangerous and ever-calling, calling for one who would take up the mantle of its power…

"You say I'm not connected to it," she said, forcefully, surprising herself. "You say I'm not connected, but why can I feel it? Why can I feel its power—why can I feel Kinmoku shifting beneath my feet? Why can I hear it calling for—for someone to become its Star Dancer?"

"I do not pretend to understand the nature of crystals," Galaxia answered. "I cannot say why it would show you such a thing anymore than I can explain why the crystals have remarkably similar songs captured within their hearts." Her gaze flashed between Kakyuu and the Kinmoku Crystal. "Can you sense the planet now?"

Kakyuu mustered her senses; she thought of the wild power beneath the land, of the screaming call for one to come forth and claim its power. She frowned fleetingly, casting her thoughts very reluctantly towards the red crystal, but all she could feel was the usual longing for the gemstone's offering of power. She had no sense of the planet beyond. She shook her head slowly. "I can't…there's nothing. I don't understand!"

Galaxia looked thoughtful, her gaze shrewdly studying the docile ruby jewel. "Perhaps it is not you," she said slowly, eyes widening, fingers lightly running over the surface of the Saffer Crystal. "Perhaps it is not _you_, Princess! Perhaps it is _me_—perhaps it is the Saffer Crystal!"

"What do you mean?" Kakyuu stared in bewilderment.

Instead of speaking, in answer Galaxia lifted the crystal of Kinmoku to her eye level, it balancing on her palm by way of the crimson force field. Kakyuu stumbled backwards as the roar of the planet's power rose suddenly to the extent of her senses, stretching like a great heaving net of burning energy held under the planet's crust. She could feel the planet's energy, and then her senses sharpened—every tiny light glowing on the surface, that was a Kinmokan life; and the three brighter stars that hung with the rest, they were the Starlights. And, larger still, compressed so much and yet burning with more energy than all of Kinmoku combined—there was Galaxia, her star's power so great that it was distorting the net of energy, repelling the weaker power, forming a wide open space directly beneath their feet. The absence of the energy web below them was startling; dimly, Kakyuu felt her physical body collide sharply with a thick stone wall, and she was knocked from her sense of Kinmoku's Star Dancer-powering energy, drawn back to her own self, simply Kakyuu, princess with a taste of a Star Dancer's power.

"I think…" she began, staring at the Kinmoku Crystal, returned to its dormant state, "I think…you may be right. It's…the Saffer Crystal, your power—it's _too _powerful. It's disrupting the natural energy of the planet. There's this—giant space right below our feet where the energy web's been pushed away."

Galaxia sighed quietly. "Such is the nature of great power," she said, stepping back from the Kinmoku Crystal, turning to face the door. "But I cannot change the effect of the Saffer Crystal upon whatever celestial body I visit. It cannot be helped."

"I know you can't do anything about it. I don't—I don't expect you to. That would be—stupid of me." Kakyuu rose to her feet, stoically ignoring the red crystal. "Come on, we've lingered here long enough."

She marched to the door, stopping and carefully peering outside, making sure there was no one else around. Satisfied, she edged back into the corridor, Galaxia right behind her. She let the door slide shut, once more concealing her planet's crystal from the outside world.

Kakyuu stared at the engraved crystal on the door, its image flickering in the torchlight. _Next time_, she told herself.

_When I come here for the next time, I'll be ready to take on the Kinmoku Crystal. I'll be ready to become a Star Dancer._

_I promise!_


	5. Like Little Stars

_Author's Note: _An update! Such a surprise! I wrote this all today, so if there are any mistakes, please inform me, as I hate to have anything but my best work up for view. This chapter has a lot of world-building, so I hope you aren't too disappointed by the lack of action. (We'll be getting more into the action-oriented stuff in…chapters eight to nine, my timeline tells me) Also, vaguely curious, has anyone noticed the trend between the chapters? Naming, style, etc…?

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Star Dancer

_Part Five: Like Little Stars_

_Doesn't the library have _anything_ on Star Dancers?_

Kakyuu heaved a long sigh and flipped slowly through the book she'd found that had been the most promising. Titled _A History of the Galaxy_, she had been certain there'd be _some _mention of Star Dancers somewhere in the book's many pages. Unfortunately, either the book's author had found Star Dancers to not be relevant in the history of the galaxy, or—more likely—they had been unable to find anything worthwhile and doubtless.

She set the book back on the stack she had been piling up and sighed again. Galaxia, who had been trying her best to return the books to the shelves where Kakyuu found them, peered around the edge of a bookshelf and asked, "Your search has been unsuccessful then, Princess?"

Kakyuu nodded. "Nothing. This library is the biggest on Kinmoku, not to mention the most accurate. And they still don't have _anything_!"

"Might I ask what you are looking for, Princess?" The golden Star Dancer appeared from behind the bookcase, picking up the latest stack of books. Kakyuu glanced up at her, taking in the white-feathered wings folded neatly at her back, the golden galaxy circlet crossing her forehead. "Galaxia…why does it seem like any books written about Star Dancers are completely wrong?"

Galaxia frowned and picked up the nearest book, flipping idly through it, eyes slowly following the lines of characters. Kakyuu had to wonder how much of the Kinmokan written language Galaxia could read; but she seemed to understand the gist of it as she returned the book to the waiting pile. "Star Dancers are—vigilant in their observance of tradition, and hoard their knowledge well. It is likely all anyone outside of the star-warriors knows is of our status as protector of planet, moon or star—and that we all wield different and sometimes somewhat similar abilities. They know us by our appearance, by our wings and our circlets, but that is all they know." She removed the circlet from her head, turning it over in her hands, before offering it to Kakyuu.

The princess of Kinmoku took the circular band of golden metal, tilting it this way and that, studying the way the gold flashed in the light. It was very light, though Kakyuu thought even for its lightness, it was strong. She doubted a sword could cut through the circlet, woven of magic and celestial energy that it was. Staring down at the spiraling sigil of the galaxy, she was half-tempted to put it on, to see what it was like, even though she did not have the crystal it had been born from. Shaking off the thought, Kakyuu returned the circlet to Galaxia, who placed it back in its proper position.

"What the worlds know of us is of our crystals of power, our wings, our circlets, our abilities. They know nothing of the way we came to be, of our traditions—" The Star Dancer fingered the limiters on her wrists, the sapphire gemstone set into each twinkling in the dim library lights. "—they know nothing of our trials and our choices."

Kakyuu watched her silently for a few long moments. Then she asked, softly, "If it's—not a question you can't answer—could you tell me how Star Dancers came to be? Or can it not be told to those who aren't already Star Dancers?" If she was to be a Star Dancer, surely she should know of their past. She already knew something of their traditions—the fact that walking about freely without one's limiters was seen as a rite of passage. She had felt the power of her planet's crystal, had seen the immense white fire that was the Star of Stars. This was _her _choice, to be a Star Dancer.

Galaxia sat in the chair opposite Kakyuu's, her red eyes unreadable. "It is an old story—and it is true, few outside the world of the star-warriors know of it. But if you are correct in your belief that you will face the Kinmoku Crystal's trial and survive its heart—then you should know the tale."

She paused, eyes growing distant, collecting her thoughts. "I was told the tale by another Star Dancer I met whilst traveling the galaxy. She was happy to inform me of that which I did not know, including the story of Hoshiko." Kakyuu nodded; the name seemed to hold some power. She perked her ears and listened carefully as the tale unfolded.

"Long, long ago, when there were few inhabited planets within this galaxy, on one planet there lived a roaming tribe—and within this tribe, there was a girl called Hoshiko—'Star Child'—for her silver-white hair that glowed in starlight, and for her eyes, said to be like tiny suns, also known to be stars.

"Hoshiko was a willful girl and had little desire to take up her mother's mantle as chief of their people; she much preferred to watch the stars in the night sky. One day, she approached the wise woman of the tribe and asked her to cast the bones for her to see what destiny lay in store for Hoshiko. The wise woman agreed on the condition that Hoshiko work towards fulfilling it. Having little other option, the girl agreed.

"So the bones were cast—and Hoshiko was told that her destiny lay away from their tribe. She was destined, they said, to find her fate in the stars. Hoshiko knew not how to interpret this divining; but as she had agreed to work towards this destiny in whatever means she could, she left the village and wandered the land.

"For several years she wandered, every night watching the stars, attempting to see if her future had arrived. Every morning she awoke unsatisfied. In her wanderings she came across an ancient temple that was once the worshipping place of the tribe's old gods. Hoshiko found a traveling monk there; and, having spoken to no one in years, she eagerly told her story and asked of the monk his interpretation.

"He told Hoshiko that he could not tell what her destiny was; but he could offer some advice. Deep within the temple lay a crystal supposedly forged from the planet's core, and within that crystal, it was said, that there was a few grains of stardust. This was likely the closest Hoshiko was ever going to come to the stars; and so she made her way to the temple's sanctuary, keeping in mind that the crystal was not entirely unguarded.

"She arrived at the chamber unharmed but wary; when she looked upon the crystal she saw that indeed there appeared to be specks of stardust locked within the gem. Hoshiko had thought there would be traps; but she walked across the room without harm and arrived at the crystal. Emboldened by her success at navigating the temple, Hoshiko did not hesitate; she took the crystal.

"And as she did so a great energy flowed through her and she heard a voice, asking her why she wanted the crystal. This was the guardian; the protector of the crystal. Hoshiko answered that her destiny lay in the stars; this crystal was her gateway to them. The voice asked her that if she had no destiny to link her to the stars, what her wish would be then.

"Hoshiko replied that she would like to dance in the stars, to witness their light with her own eyes. Her wish was true and pure; and so the crystal bonded to her, granting her wings to fly. While it also bound her to the planet, to protect it, Hoshiko could now walk the star paths and travel the galaxy, flying through the stars. She did not know she was the first of many; and because of her dream to 'dance in the stars', all those who bonded to planetary, lunar, or stellar crystals afterwards took on the name 'Star Dancer'."

Kakyuu blinked and realized Galaxia had stopped speaking; the Star Dancer was a surprisingly good storyteller—Kakyuu had managed to forget that she was sitting here in the library on Kinmoku, hearing a tale from many years ago. "The first Star Dancer…" She considered what she'd been told. "Did Hoshiko also figure out the signs for magic?"

Galaxia raised her eyebrows. "I am not certain as to where the designs came from—perhaps they were already a part of the preexisting magic held within a celestial body. I learned my symbols from the spirit of the Star of Stars, but I do not know how Hoshiko discovered her own abilities and the corresponding signs."

Kakyuu tried not to let too much of her disappointment show—after all, she had learned far more than anyone on Kinmoku aside from its own stellar Star Dancers in a matter of moments. She nodded and rose to her feet, taking half the stack of books and placing them back on their shelves, Galaxia doing the same for the other half of the stack.

Finished with that, Kakyuu headed for the door, saying over her shoulder, "I have something to show you." She felt it was easier to consider the enormous gift Galaxia had offered her by in turn offering some of her own knowledge of her planet, as she doubted Galaxia had ever been on Kinmoku's surface, though of course she had to have known it existed.

Weaving through the many passageways, Kakyuu soon found where she wanted to go—a large garden on the east side of the palace. Trees stretched their green leaves towards the sky, from which the sun shone brightly against a background of blue. Gray rocks and colorful flowers broke up the overabundance of green; a clear stream trickled past, churning across small gray, black, and blue pebbles.

Kakyuu squinted towards the sky. The sun was easily visible, as well as the three satellite stars; it was closer to noon, Hiru's domain, but the other two were visible towards the edges of the sky. "The Convergence will be soon," she said, pointing towards the stars, realizing at the same time that she'd managed to forget the advent of her own name-day, brought on by the appearance of the stars. The Star Festival celebrating the Convergence always began the day after Kakyuu's name-day—she had thought of it as something ironic for most of her life, considering her dream and the fact that the Star Festival honored the three Star Dancers of the satellite stars.

"'Convergence', Princess?" Galaxia questioned, glancing up towards the stars as well. "What is it you speak of?"

"Every year, in the summer," Kakyuu explained, "the three satellite stars come together. They call it the Convergence. Together, since they're closer than the sun, the stars can make the night seem like day. The Convergence lasts approximately three days long, which is when we hold the Star Festival. It's basically a celebration devoted to the three satellite stars; the Starlights are especially popular during the festival, as each has her own day, according to the times of day the stars cross the path of the sun. The first day is Taiki's day, for Yoake; the second day is Seiya's day, for Hiru; and the third and final day is Yaten's day, for Hakumei."

Galaxia studied the quartet of stars visible in the sky. "I have seen other planets that have celebrations in honor of their Star Dancer, but your planet is unique for its satellites. I have not seen another like yours that has such a phenomenon when the stars come together. You say it happens every year?"

"Every year," Kakyuu nodded. "It's probably the biggest celebration on Kinmoku, excluding tomorrow, of course."

"What occurs tomorrow?" The golden Star Dancer tipped her head to one side, her wings flashing out from her sides and then falling back in a questioning manner.

_So my father didn't tell her she'd be here for my name-day? _Kakyuu blinked in surprise. She had been of the strong opinion that her father would have shared whatever he thought relevant to Galaxia—anything from embarrassing tales to Kakyuu's achievements in her lessons. Surely the date of her name-day had come up at some point? She realized she had no idea how her father had even contacted Galaxia, in order to get her to come to Kinmoku. Just how much _had _he told her, then?

"Tomorrow…" Kakyuu could already see the mountains of gifts that she wasn't likely to ever use taking up a good part of her rooms. "Tomorrow is my name-day." She tried not to sound too unhappy at the prospect—after all, she was getting older, though whether or not that was something to be happy for was debatable. She would be another year closer to taking the throne, a thought that was both exciting and absolutely terrifying at the same time. That also meant that she was also closer to being eligible for marriage, though her parents had told her she didn't need to think about that just yet—it wouldn't stop people from asking. That was one thing she dreaded about her name-day—the love letters.

"Name…day…?" Galaxia repeated quizzically, looking more than a little lost. Kakyuu succeeded in not laughing at the poor star-warrior's expression; instead she put a smile on her face, the thought having occurred to her that Galaxia had probably heard many different variations of names for the day, and likely could not think to connect them.

"Name-day, as in the day you received your name—alternatively, the day you were born," the princess of Kinmoku explained. "Everyone has one. Even you do. I'm sure you've seen it on other planets before."

"Ah." Most of the confusion had cleared from Galaxia's face. "I understand. Yes, there are…several different names that I can think of at the moment." She paused, frowning slightly. "You say that everyone has one. But I do not recall my creation, nor was there anything present at that moment aside from the Star of Stars—as stars have no idea of time, it would not be able to tell me the date; and even then it would be…difficult to translate to the different planetary calendars."

Kakyuu felt her mouth drop open. "You—you don't have a _name-day_?"

"Obviously, I must, but I do not know the date," Galaxia clarified, looking vaguely uncomfortable at the sight of Kakyuu's admittedly somewhat extreme reaction. "Ah…is it that much—is it that important?"

"Yes!" Kakyuu nodded emphatically. "Your name-day is—" She broke off, trying to think of a good way to explain it. She narrowed her eyes, at last thinking of something to say. "Your name-day is how you know how old you are! If you don't know your name-day, how are you supposed to know your age?"

"I…do not…?" The Star Dancer looked somewhere between confused and concerned.

Kakyuu tapped her cheek in thought. "Wait! You said the Star of Stars would know, didn't you?"

"It was there, yes, but stars have no sense of time. How could it know the date?"

Kakyuu deflated, sighing. "Well…you could always just _pick_ a day, I suppose. It's probably going to be off by some number until you can figure out another way to find out how to measure your age and then go from there." She scratched her head. "So, pick a day, any day!" She wished she had a calendar to whip out and display, but alas, she went without.

Galaxia studied the sky, watching the stars trace their paths across the curving sky. Kakyuu couldn't tell if she was actually thinking about the question, or if she was just avoiding it entirely by only _looking _like she was thinking about it. Finally the Star Dancer spoke. "I…do not know much about the way you chart the passage of time on this planet. It would be difficult for me to choose a—name-day—when I do not know the months or number of days per month or how many days qualify as a year. _You _understand, Princess—you have lived all your life on this planet…you would not mind choosing one for me?"

"Hmm…" That was another thing Kakyuu thought her father would have explained to Galaxia. Ah, well, no time like the present to say what one had to. "Well, there's nine months, three for each of the satellite stars, as the ancient Kinmokans used the three stars for a lot of their calculations. Right now, today, is the second month of Hiru, twelfth day. There are thirty days to each month—as you can see, there's a big usage of the number three—and each collection of three months is referred to by the time the satellite star it is named for crosses the sun—for example, we're now in the noon-time of the year; the dawn is the first three months, and the twilight of the year occurs in the last three." Feeling she had sufficiently explained how her planet recorded the passage of days, Kakyuu said, "So that's how the days go…as far as a name-day for you…"

She thought. And thought. She didn't know what Galaxia thought of the different months of the year. Summer was for the first two months of Hiru and a fourth of the last; autumn was the rest of the last month of Hiru and the first two months of Hakumei. The last month of Hakumei, the first month and a fourth of Yoake was winter; and the remaining two and a fourth months of Yoake were spring. "How about…" _She had absolutely no idea. _"…today?"

Yes, Kakyuu had just come up with that on the spot.

"Today?" Galaxia repeated, looking thoughtful.

"It's summer," Kakyuu shrugged. "Summer always has the nicest days, in my opinion. And, you get to be a day older than me, if I'm estimating your age right!" That had to be a good incentive, didn't it?

"How old do you believe me to be?"

"Well, I'll be sixteen years tomorrow, so I'm betting you're about as old as I am. At least, you look like you're my age." Kakyuu half-shrugged.

Galaxia inclined her head. "Then your assumption would be correct, Princess. I judge myself to be between the age of fifteen and sixteen, depending on what planet I am on."

Kakyuu nodded once. "I like to believe that I'm a good judge of ages, but I'm not always, so I wanted to be sure." She offered a bright smile. "So then—happy name-day, Galaxia."

"Thank you…?" Galaxia was beginning to look confused again—of course she didn't understand the traditions behind name-days; but, lo and behold, Kakyuu had spotted what she'd originally come to the garden for. She crossed the stream by way of small, flat stepping stones and waved for Galaxia to follow her. "I didn't bring you here to tell you about the Convergence and name-days."

The princess of Kinmoku crouched beside a thick field of sprightly grass and curled-shut red-orange flower buds. Galaxia knelt beside her, looking upon the flower buds with an air of curiosity.

"These here are special flowers," Kakyuu said, lightly running her fingers across one delicate petal. "They're called fire-lilies, because of their bright red-orange color when they're open. But they're a funny little flower in that they only open on the nights of the Convergence." She tapped the edge of the curling leaves along the stem. "Mother told me when I asked her one year that the flowers only open when exposed to a lot of light. The sun gives us light for each day, but it's a lot farther away than the three satellite stars. When they come together, it's said to be brighter than even daylight, which causes the fire-lilies to open. I wish I could show you what they look like, but there's not enough light." She sighed.

Galaxia looked thoughtfully upon the fire-lily in Kakyuu's hands. "Would the Star of Stars be enough?" she questioned, her red eyes curious.

"Absolutely." Kakyuu nodded. _No doubt about it._

Galaxia reached out, lightly touched the top of the bud resting against Kakyuu's palms. A soft golden light poured from her fingers, and Kakyuu couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her face as the flower bud shivered once before its petals unfurled, unfolding into a vibrant spiraling pattern, the color making it seem as though the flower had suddenly lit on fire. The head of the flower, a pale yellow in contrast with the brilliant color of the petals, was glowing, as if it had absorbed the light given to it and was in turn shedding its own light, a tiny star in a field of shadow-buds not yet ready to shine.

"Pretty, isn't it?" Kakyuu asked, glancing at Galaxia. The galaxy Star Dancer nodded slowly, her face alive with wonder, the Saffer Crystal glowing bright, its bluish light painting the fiery-colored petals of the fire-lily a purple hue.

"It is very beautiful, Princess." Galaxia's eyes were riveted on the flower, as if she had never seen such a thing in all her journeys across the galaxy. _But_, Kakyuu suddenly remembered, _she did say she'd never seen anything like the Convergence, either, so it's probably safe to say anything related to it is a new experience, too. _

Galaxia's voice startled her from her thoughts. "You say…all of these flowers will open on the…Convergence?" She tested the unfamiliar word.

"That's right." Kakyuu gave a nod. "You'll love it, I know you will. It always looks as though the stars have descended from the sky and have covered the ground with light—they're all like little stars, a great big field of them." She grinned. "It's not always easy to see, as the Convergence is always very bright, but when you're right there in the garden…it's a beautiful sight. Mother showed them to me on my…seventh Convergence, I think?" She shrugged her shoulders. "Anyways, I'll have to remember to bring you here sometime during the Star Festival. The fire-lilies will be in full bloom then. Remind me, will you?"

"I will."

"Good." Kakyuu nodded decisively and climbed to her feet, plucking the fire-lily from its compatriots. Even without Galaxia's hand on it, the flower continued to bloom—perhaps closeness to the Saffer Crystal ensured that it would remain open, despite the lack of extreme light that Kakyuu could see.

She turned to Galaxia and offered her the flower. "Would you like to hold it?"

The Star Dancer took the flower carefully, balancing it somewhat awkwardly on her hands. The fire-lily's petals quivered, as if it could sense the great light within the Saffer Crystal, within the Star of Stars so far away. Thinking of the Star of Stars brought another thought to the forefront of Kakyuu's mind. "You know," she began, gazing at the flower, "I never saw it before, because I'd never really thought about it, but…the fire-lilies look somewhat like the Star of Stars, don't you think?" She pointed to the petals. "The petals are like the galaxy, spiraling around the head of the flower, which is the Star of Stars."

_She'd never seen the similarities before because she'd never seen the Star of Stars until she had met its Star Dancer._

"In a way, yes," Galaxia answered quietly, her eyes appearing almost gold from the reflection of the fire-lily's center. After a long moment of silence, the Star Dancer held the flower back out to Kakyuu.

The princess of Kinmoku shook her head. "Keep it," she said, lightly folding Galaxia's hands over the flower. "That way, even when you've left Kinmoku, you can remember it." She was struck by the sudden thought that she didn't want Galaxia to leave—the Star Dancer had become someone to whom Kakyuu spoke to regularly, and someone who, while she no longer called Kakyuu by name, she was not afraid of her. And the only people who held those qualities that actually_ lived_ on Kinmoku would be her parents. She didn't mention her other reason for giving Galaxia the flower—there was a tradition of giving one gifts on their name-day, and when Kakyuu had chosen today she had realized she didn't have anything to give to the Star Dancer. The fire-lily had been a stroke of good fortune.

"Thank you," Galaxia said, haltingly—as if she'd never been given anything freely. Kakyuu was starting to think the poor girl had been deprived her whole life of the things that everyone should have. She fought down the surge of pity and smiled instead. "You're welcome."

"I will keep it always."

"You don't have to," Kakyuu said. "I mean, sure, you could probably keep it alive indefinitely with Star Dancer energy, but—it_ is_ only a flower."

Some emotion glittered in the depths of Galaxia's eyes, an emotion Kakyuu thought she knew but couldn't quite name. "It is more than a flower," Galaxia murmured, "and for that, I thank you, Kakyuu, Crown Princess of Kinmoku."

And what could Kakyuu say to that but—"Good."

She was relieved that she could be immortalized in Galaxia's memory as the one who had given her the gift of a flower, a tiny fire-lily that apparently meant more than jewels or gold.

And in a way, Kakyuu was glad. Glad that Galaxia could see the value in a flower, glad that she could put more meaning to it then Kakyuu ever could. She was glad to know the Star Dancer, because Galaxia had given her something that couldn't be measured in gold or jewels, either.

Galaxia had given her hope. To Kakyuu, that was perhaps the best gift in the world.


	6. Borrow Your Wings

_Author's Note: _Another chapter, here after a month. I need to work on my speed updating this story. I need to work on updating speed _period_, because I'm lacking. I don't suppose I could say school's been giving me issues with time, which is true, but it's still an excuse all the same. So, I suppose, just read the chapter and tell me what you think? It's going to get more confusing from here on out, just so you know!

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Star Dancer

_Part Six: Borrow Your Wings_

_Another day, another morning like any other, another year older…_

Kakyuu stared at the new pile of presents sitting in her room. Every year, it was the same; she had tried telling people once that they honestly didn't need to spend such time on choosing a gift for her name-day, she didn't need anything at all, presents from her parents and immediate family would suffice—as it was for much of the population—but it appeared they had yet to really listen. Abstractedly, she wondered if her name-day had been declared a planetary holiday yet.

Her eyes caught the flash of gold and found Galaxia, staring up at the pile of neatly-wrapped gifts with an air of curiosity. "How do they manage to stack so many objects so without all of them falling over? It looks like none of them are even the same _size._"

Kakyuu shrugged half-heartedly. "I honestly have no idea. I'm sure it's a feat of great imagining." She carefully stepped around the veritable mountain and paused at the window, squinting up into the sunlight. The sun was climbing into the sky, with the cluster of the satellite stars edging ever closer together. Another sign that the Convergence was upon them.

At length she turned away from the glowing stars and marched to the door. "I suppose it's time I announced to the world I'm awake. Let the horror begin," she muttered dryly; Galaxia—once more her living shadow—questioned, "Surely this is a momentous occasion? Why would you fear it?"

Kakyuu stifled a laugh. "After a few of these you'll learn to fear my name-day too. It just drags on, and on…" She shook her head. "Never mind that, though. My parents are probably debating whether to send someone to fetch me. I'm trying to prove to them that I'm a relatively responsible person and that they don't need to send someone for me in the morning when they want to talk to me. We should get going."

"Relatively responsible…aside from your doings with Star Dancer magic?"

Galaxia's question almost stopped Kakyuu in her tracks, feeling as if she'd been suddenly struck with a knife; but the princess of Kinmoku kept moving, nodding her head sharply. "Yes. Except for that."

And now that near-broken promise would be lingering in her head for the rest of the day. Not that she blamed Galaxia; the star-warrior was only stating a fact, and—if you interpreted it that way—speaking her mind, which was something not many did when confronted with a planetary princess.

Kakyuu studied the hallway; while there were no decorations for name-days, she could see the beginnings of those decorations set aside for the Star Festival; silvery sun-stones, suspended from gossamer strings, were strung across the ceiling and down the edges of a few of the pillars. She glanced back, seeing Galaxia's eyes following the patterns of the sun-stones, and she wondered if the Star Festival would be changed as the Star Dancer charged with the greatest star's energy stood within their midst.

After a moment of thought, she decided not; the Star Festival was a celebration of the satellite stars and of Kinmoku's ancient history, where Yoake, Hiru, and Hakumei figured prominently. She had seen pictures of ancient temples bearing runes that she could not read, and always the images of the three stars, in Convergence or not; there was even a replica of the great star calendar at the Old Temple where one could see the passage of time as marked by the shadow of the sun and the three stars crossing it dawn, noon, and twilight.

The Star of Stars was more powerful than any of Kinmoku's satellite stars, greater than all of them combined; but it had no place in the Star Festival, only as the source of the stardust that had long ago formed the three stars. Galaxia would be as much a stranger to the Festival as the newest generation being taken for their first time.

And, Kakyuu decided, it was her duty to make sure Galaxia saw all of the Festival in its glory, and the Convergence with its light to make the night seem as day, and the sea of fire-lilies, opening their petals to the skies above.

…Once she got through her name-day first, that is.

She reached the door to her parents' rooms, and hesitated, wanting to prolong the silence a little longer. But after five minutes had passed she realized this was silly, and carefully pushed open the door, to be greeted by an over-enthusiastic hug from her mother. "Kakyuu, dear, you're here!"

"Yes, Mother…" Kakyuu returned the embrace, managing to aim a small smile at her father, who stood by the window, watching them with an amused smile on his face and a twinkle in his eyes.

She was released from her mother's hug and half-turned to spy Galaxia standing in the doorway, looking as if she was about to step back and disappear off to parts unknown—or perhaps that should be parts _of space_ unknown, as Kakyuu wasn't sure how often the golden Star Dancer chose to wander the galaxy.

And Kakyuu wasn't about to let the galaxy's star-warrior miss out on anything involving her name-day, as much to help her learn about the experience as well as to prove her point about the fact that one needed to fear it; and so she stepped back a pace to stand before Galaxia. "Don't just _stand_ there like you're a statue." An insistent tug to the Star Dancer's wrist brought her into the room.

Kakyuu's parents were nothing if not gracious to their guest; although the princess of Kinmoku got the feeling they were laughing on the inside when she told them that she was going to help Galaxia learn to fear the coming of Kakyuu's name-day. Still, they didn't laugh on the _outside_, and that had to count for something.

"Thank you for allowing me to be here on this—wondrous?—occasion," Galaxia inclined her head, her voice uncertain as if she wasn't entirely sure what to call Kakyuu's name-day without sounding either rude or presumptuous.

Kakyuu's mother smiled widely. "But of course! This whole week is the most exciting out of the entire year!"

And Kakyuu had to admit that there were few events that could compete with either her name-day or the Star Festival. Perhaps it was a good thing they happened right after one another, because then one could prepare for both without really having to scramble.

Much of the day passed into a blur; Kakyuu could remember dismantling the mountain of gifts in her room at some point, so that they lay scattered across the floor; she recalled sorting through different objects, some of which the likes she had never seen before. Some gifts she received more than one of, and, on one occasion, more than _two_ of.

Galaxia stood at her side, ever-present golden white-winged shadow that she was, watching the proceedings with a never-disappearing air of interest. Of course, it was likely she'd never seen a name-day celebration of the sort, or, if she had, not one of the planet-wide variety. She seemed almost entranced by all that occurred, red eyes flashing from different people to different objects, occasionally skimming over Kakyuu before eventually finding something more intriguing to look at and puzzle over.

But all too soon it came time for the part of the festivities that Kakyuu, personally, wanted nothing to do with—her parents, on the other hand, were of the single-minded opinion that it was one of the best parts of the entire day.

The ball.

You could say Kakyuu was not fond of wearing dresses—she could handle skirts, but dresses always made her feel as if she was about to fall over, never mind the shoes she was expected to wear; you could say she was not fond of dancing—because some people were ridiculous and others shy, and it all began to grate on one's patience after an hour; you could say she was not comfortable with all the crowds—sometimes it seemed as though the whole of Kinmoku had managed to crowd into the palace; or you could say that she was simply unhappy with the thought of marriage, for her name-day ball had seemed overflowing with suitors her last name-day ball—fifteenth—when she'd become eligible for marriage.

_Eligible_, she knew, did not mean _going to happen_; she was well aware of the rights she had. She couldn't be married till she was eighteen—coincidentally, or maybe not so much, the same age she could ascend to the throne if she wished. Still, she didn't want it to happen at all, and suffering through last year's ball had been practically headache-inducing.

And now here she was, in uncomfortable shoes and feeling rather too dressed-up, staring out at the crowds and wishing desperately that she wasn't here at all. Her only consolation was Galaxia—who had not been forced into uncomfortable attire and remained staunchly in her familiar golden armor—and whose presence seemed to be warding off any potential suitors.

Kakyuu thought maybe it was the wings; or maybe it was merely the fact that Galaxia was a Star Dancer, and Star Dancers as a whole were shrouded in mystery for much of the population of Kinmoku. Or maybe it was the fact that she was actually the galaxy's Star Dancer; maybe they could tell the spiraling symbol meant the Star of Stars and the galaxy. Whatever the case, keeping Galaxia close by, as per her father's orders, was doing a very good job in keeping Kakyuu from having to dance at all.

Somehow, the day was beginning to get a little brighter.

Galaxia's voice startled her from her thoughts. "What is it we are meant to be doing here?"

Kakyuu gestured towards the mob on the ballroom floor—they were currently holed up by one of the large support pillars, excellent camouflage for the most part—and sighed. "Dancing, I suppose. That's what my parents want me to do. But it gets rather boring surprisingly fast. I try to avoid it at all costs, but I'm usually not very effective."

"You have yet to dance with anyone," Galaxia pointed out, and Kakyuu laughed. "Well, they certainly aren't swarming like last year. I think they're afraid to approach this year."

"Were you exceptionally horrible with them last year to make them behave in such a way?"

"No," Kakyuu shook her head. "What I think—they're afraid of a Star Dancer. A very powerful Star Dancer who could destroy them without batting an eye."

The golden Star Dancer was quiet a moment before it came to her that _she _was the reason. "Ah," she said slowly, fingers lightly running across the Saffer Crystal. "Would you prefer me to put forth more distance between us?"

Kakyuu's eyes widened. "Oh, you wouldn't do that to me, would you? Throw me to the wolves like that." She stared accusingly in Galaxia's direction. But before the Star Dancer could reply, Kakyuu caught a glimpse of a dark-clad person moving amongst the much brighter people on the dance floor. Her eyes narrowed faintly. "Who…is _that_?"

Galaxia turned, and Kakyuu could see the moment she found the stranger, because she tilted her head to the side and her fingers twitched, as if wishing to draw a sign. "Do you…know them, Princess?"

Kakyuu shook her head, staring. As if they had sensed her gaze, the stranger looked up—though the princess of Kinmoku couldn't see their face, for they wore a long gray-black cloak, hood drawn over their head so that only the brilliant dark red color of their eyes could be seen; even so, there was evidence to suggest the stranger was female. Kakyuu swallowed thickly, wanting to take a step back but finding there was that pillar in the way. The stranger's eyes…seemed to be the exact same shade of red as blood.

"Her eyes…" Kakyuu whispered; beside her, Galaxia stiffened. "Wouldn't—wouldn't someone _notice_ her, in all this brightness? Wouldn't they notice—the _wrongness_?" For the moment she had perceived the existence of the blood-eyed stranger, there had been a slight change in the air as if—as if something _darker _had passed by.

"Perhaps…perhaps she has a glamour," Galaxia suggested softly, the galaxy sign on her circlet flashing in the reflections of torchlight along the walls. "We are connected to magic, and so we can see more easily past the illusion. Even without magic, you were able to—very briefly—glimpse my true form. Now that you know your own magic, it has opened your eyes to another world."

Kakyuu turned back to the masses, but the stranger, with her odd blood-colored eyes and her darkness, had disappeared when Kakyuu's attention had been elsewhere. Still, the princess couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. "Where is she?" she rasped, gaze darting about the room; but all she saw were the bright colors of Kinmokan people, no dark, sinister stranger amongst the shadows cast by the firelight.

"She is gone, for now," Galaxia murmured, her hands still poised to draw a rune. "But a creature of darkness would not merely visit a place to see it; you can trust she will be back, for whatever reason she has been sent here for. She will return, and we will find her then."

"Why…why do you think she came here? Kinmoku's a peaceful planet," Kakyuu blinked rapidly, trying to get the image of those eyes out of her head. "We haven't had any wars since the unification of the planet _millennia_ ago! Why would a being of darkness want to come here? What would she have to gain?"

"I do not know," the Star Dancer answered quietly. "We will be vigilant. We shall meet her again. And perhaps from that next meeting we may gain more insight."

Kakyuu nodded slightly. That was rather sensible. "All right…all right. We wait." She paused, a sudden thought coming to her in a flash of inspiration. "But—if she can fool all those people—" She sent a sweeping hand in the direction of the revelers "—if she can fool all of them, what's to say she can't weave some complicated illusion that we won't see through until it's too late?"

"The Star of Stars is the most powerful source of energy that I know of; even if she can manage to deceive you, Princess, she will not be able to cast the same cloud of dust into my eyes."

Kakyuu relaxed only somewhat. Galaxia's words were reassuring, but the Star Dancer couldn't be everywhere at once. She rubbed at her forehead, wishing suddenly to be able to leave this chaos, the looming threat of Blood Eyes hanging over their heads. She scanned the dance floor—her parents were on the far side, speaking to some lords. Good, they were occupied. She lightly touched Galaxia's arm. "Let's go get some fresh air. Maybe it'll help us take our mind off things."

With the Star Dancer following behind her, Kakyuu slipped away from the loud clamor, making her way to the eastern garden, home of the fire-lilies. The air was not even cool, as the sun still hovered above the horizon, dying the sky a hue of purple. Distantly, the intense glow of Hakumei hovered higher in the sky, closer to its fellow satellite stars, a sign of the advent of the Convergence.

The fire-lilies were undisturbed in their beds; many were still tightly curled shut, but a few here and there had begun to unfurl their petals, the barest edges of brilliant red-orange glinting through the mostly peach-colored undersides of the petals. Soon, they would all be a sea of stars.

Kakyuu sat down beside the fire-lilies, not minding the dirt that would eventually cover her dress—she was only going to wear it this once, so why not get it dirty? She reached out and prodded one fire-lily that was rather close to opening, its fiery petals more exposed than any of the others'.

Galaxia still stood, peering about the garden as if she expected Blood Eyes to show her face here. But there were no flitting shadows in the evening light, nothing to show that they were anything but alone, safe from the hustle and bustle of the outside world.

"You know…" Kakyuu began, studying the curves of the fire-lily's petals, "it seems like every year, when things get real hectic in the ballroom…I always manage to find my way here. Nobody ever comes to the garden this late on this night; everyone who would come to the garden would come during the Star Festival, when the fire-lilies are open and shining. So it's quiet here…I can think about today in peace."

Galaxia was quiet a moment before she asked, "You are…sixteen years today, Princess?"

Kakyuu nodded. "Sixteen," she agreed. "If I remember correctly, I may have a say in the doings of the planet now. Of course, I don't have any real power until I ascend to the throne, but my parents will probably at the very least consider any ideas I put forth." She glanced up at the Star Dancer, with her wings little more than a bright silhouette against the darkening sky.

Galaxia had a thoughtful look on her face; and when she spoke, it wasn't about Kakyuu's future place in Kinmoku's politics. "Princess…it is your name-day…and—there was that pile of objects in your room, that people from all over the planet sent you?"

"It's a tradition," Kakyuu explained, suddenly realizing what Galaxia was trying to ask. "Generally, on one's name-day, they receive gifts from family and friends. I have the distinction of being the princess of the planet, so it seems like everyone feels the need to send me _something_."

The golden Star Dancer's gaze wandered past Kakyuu to the fire-lily buds. "You did this too," she said abruptly, whirling to face Kakyuu again. "You—you gave me a name-day of yesterday, and you gave me the fire-lily flower. For tradition?"

"That was only part of it. You liked the fire-lilies, and there are lots of them all over Kinmoku, and there'll be even more next year. One little flower wasn't going to be missed, and I had a feeling it would—_be_ more—with you than just staying in this garden for the rest of its life."

"But you still gave me a gift," Galaxia insisted. Her eyes widened. "And I—I have nothing for you!"

"It's not _that_ bad," Kakyuu sat back, rising to her feet. "Honestly, Galaxia, I've already got so many gifts. You don't have to give me anything; you've already given me the gift of magic, shouldn't that be enough?"

"That was before today," the Star Dancer's eyes flicked about the garden once more. "This is a tradition of your planet, so why should I not observe it as well as the rest of your people?"

Kakyuu stared into the Star Dancer's eyes and saw that there would be no changing her mind. "All right," she said, conceding defeat. "Do what you want. I'm not sure where you'd find a gift that hasn't already been given—" She cut herself off, because a strange light had come to Galaxia's eyes, as if she had suddenly thought of something astounding.

"Princess," Galaxia murmured, and her wings flared out from her back and returned to settle. "You say I would have a hard time finding something that has not already been given." She closed her eyes, clasping her hands before her. "I have seen it, throughout the few days we have trained together. You are fixated on my magic and my crystal, but even more so, you are most obsessed with my wings."

Kakyuu stared outright; her hands caught hold of her dress, trying to find something to stabilize her. "You—" She swallowed, trying to bring moisture to her suddenly dry mouth. "You can—give me _wings_?"

To her extreme disappointment, the golden Star Dancer shook her head. "Only a crystal of stellar, lunar, or planetary origins can offer the gift of wings to one who bonds with it. To attempt transforming another without the aid of a crystal…the results would be disastrous."

An image came to mind of herself, with malformed and grotesque wings; Kakyuu shuddered involuntarily and pushed the image away. She focused on Galaxia shrewdly, forcing herself to let go of her dress and let her hands dangle freely. "Then—whatever do you mean?"

Galaxia's gaze was unreadable. "It is true, I cannot give you wings to experience flight…but if you wish it…I can offer you the chance to borrow my own."

"Borrow your wings," Kakyuu said slowly, not sure she'd heard correctly. "You mean—you'd take me flying?" Her voice shook slightly, and she cursed herself inwardly for her weakness.

"If—if you wish it so," Galaxia nodded once. And the hope—oh, the dream of flying through the skies of Kinmoku on Star Dancer's wings came quite suddenly to Kakyuu's mind; and with that, how could she possibly refuse?

She nodded, far too quickly and far in excess, but that did not matter. "Yes." Her voice was a near whisper, so she fought to raise it to normal room volume and said again, "Yes… Yes, of course I accept your offer."

Galaxia tilted her head, studying her for a second. "I shall have to carry you," she decided. "It is rare the times I have had to carry any other weight besides myself, and I wish my wings free."

"Whatever you want," Kakyuu nodded eagerly. She was unable to squash the rebellious seed of excitement that had wormed its way into her mind at Galaxia's words.

_She was going flying!_

The Star Dancer looked up towards the sky, as if estimating how much time they had before the daylight was gone. "Perhaps…a half hour," she said slowly. "For all my power, I have no ability to see in darkness, so we shall have to return before the last light of day."

"Fair enough," Kakyuu agreed. "Shall we go? Only so much time in a day, you know." She wasn't trying to sound as if she was ordering Galaxia around—but she thought that the Star Dancer might understand the enormousness of this offer.

Galaxia offered a single nod, her wings unfurling with a soft blast of air ruffling Kakyuu's hair. The white feathers gleamed dazzlingly in the dark orange light from the setting sun, dying them a radiant orange. Kakyuu would have stood there staring if not for Galaxia's voice trickling into her ears:

_"Come, Princess."_

Kakyuu walked the short distance to the Star Dancer, stricken by a bout of fear. What if Galaxia's wings weren't made to hold more than her own weight? What if she couldn't hold onto Kakyuu? But she thought that Galaxia wouldn't have offered if she hadn't been at least reasonably certain she could fly with Kakyuu in tow, and Kakyuu was of the opinion she wasn't all that heavy, anyways.

Galaxia's eyes focused on her, as though she had been previously looking upon something so very far away. Before Kakyuu's body could react, the Star Dancer had picked her up, carefully holding her as if Kakyuu herself wasn't the only one worried about being dropped. But Galaxia's grip held firm, and the white, orange-splashed wings arced towards the heavens above. "You are ready, Princess?"

After a moment of serious thought, Kakyuu nodded swiftly. "Ready." She was grateful that her voice did not betray her fear of falling; and at the same time she wanted so desperately to love flying.

The Saffer Crystal was right beside Kakyuu's left hand; and as she watched it gave a surge of light as the galaxy's Star Dancer leaped into the sky.

For a moment as long as an hour and yet as short as the length of a single heartbeat, they hung suspended in the air, the wind still, the fire-lilies below tiny dots and the sky above beginning to come alive with the first stars as the orange sunset slid further beneath the horizon.

Then Galaxia's wings caught them, lifting them into the wide, wide sky.

Kakyuu could not describe the feeling, of the wind rushing past her, making her hair dance; of the sight of Kinmoku spread out beneath her, covering the space from each horizon, the tiny lights of villages and cities like stars all their own; of the sunset casting dark orange rays across the purple-blue sky.

Galaxia's wings beat a steady rhythm, feathers scything at the visible clouds, sending them spinning away into tiny wisps of high-up fog. Kakyuu turned her gaze to the Star Dancer; Galaxia's eyes were focused ahead, but she was not immune to the wind either—her hair, longer than Kakyuu's by a small margin, was also flying about, though Galaxia's managed to remain mostly behind her, as opposed to Kakyuu's, which felt the need to simply fly anywhere and everywhere. And her circlet was slightly lopsided from takeoff, the galaxy symbol skewed just faintly to the right, the edge of the first spiral touching Galaxia's right eyebrow. Kakyuu did not think; she reached up and pushed the circlet back into place. Galaxia's eyes flashed to her, but the Star Dancer said only, "Thank you, Princess," and that was that.

They were silent for a time, Kakyuu marveling at the beauty of flight, and Galaxia concentrating on only flying. The Saffer Crystal pulsed faintly; and the princess of Kinmoku studied the smooth blue jewel. Its tiny star was only just visible in the flashes of light from the setting sun. She managed to ignore the crystal, for all of five minutes that passed by in the same silence.

Then she could not stop herself from lightly touching the gemstone.

Wind and sky and earth spun together as Kakyuu felt the strange feeling of being in two places at once—something she had only ever experienced at the behest of the Kinmoku Crystal; never had she connected to the Saffer Crystal enough to feel the Star of Stars. But then she realized abruptly, as the wind roared past, that it was _not _the Great Star she could sense as a second body.

Wings beat frantically to regain altitude; burning star-energy coursed through her veins, giving her purpose; and she spun through the sky, the orange light winking at the edge of the earth, and her wrists _burned_—

They plunged from the sky, wings tucked in, spiraling towards the faint light of the garden of the fire-lilies. Just after arrowing across the wall, their wings opened, catching the air and letting them fall none-too-gently to the earth below—

Kakyuu rolled across the ground, separated from Galaxia at landing. She took a few deep breaths, trying to clear her head. Pushing herself to her knees, she stared across at the golden Star Dancer, crouched by the fire-lilies. "What—_was_—that?" Kakyuu gasped, rubbing her wrists. Why had they felt as if they were burning?

Galaxia did not answer, staggering to her feet as though she had taken some sort of blow. "My apologies, Princess," she breathed, one hand clutching the Saffer Crystal. "I—must leave you—for now."

"What?" Kakyuu lurched to her feet, now thoroughly alarmed. She stretched out a hand. "Galaxia! Wait—"

But the Star Dancer was gone in a flurry of white feathers, and Kakyuu was standing staring at the place she'd been. Her outstretched hand fell back to her side. She stared after the galaxy's Star Dancer, unable to say the words resounding in her mind, over and over:

_What just happened?_


	7. A Major Player

_Author's Note: _So I finally got around to writing this chapter, took me a little while to think of a good way to put it and even then it's one of my shorter chapters—at least in this story. Enjoy, and I hope you all can recognize the familiar face that appears.

* * *

Star Dancer

_Part Seven: A Major Player_

_There is still so much I don't know…_

Kakyuu sighed heavily and stared down at the small fire-lily bud she was carefully coaxing into the ground. All around her, the fiery flowers had opened their blazing petals, their heads exposed to the brilliant light of the Convergence overhead. To be honest, the princess of Kinmoku usually found herself in the fire-lily garden when the Star Festival got into swing, the crowds often hinging on being a little too much, even if one wasn't the Starlights, who were—literally—the stars of the three-day celebration. _At least_, she thought, _this morning wasn't as bad as I thought it would be._

* * *

_The Star Festival always began early, long before the three stars themselves rose into the sky. Kakyuu, as per usual, woke up at the time that would have been half an hour past Yoake's ascension into the sky; but with the three stars together, the effect was much more obvious, starlight and sunlight mixed together streaking in through the curtains to Kakyuu's room._

_It took her only a few moments to dress and get ready—she was disappointed when she poked her head out the door, however; she had been planning on asking Galaxia about the events of the night before, but the golden Star Dancer was suspiciously absent. It was only after she arrived at the breakfast banquet that she spied the Star Dancer standing aloof by one of the corners, as unapproachable as could be._

_She recalled the feeling of flight and of the star's energy flowing through her, and the odd burning sensation in her wrists—she could not think of a reason why, but one look at Galaxia told her the Star Dancer was not going to give her any answers, not today._

_And Kakyuu had hoped that she could show the Star Dancer the wonder of the Convergence, of the sea of fire-lilies…_

_She said a hello to her parents—oh, how oblivious they were to her inner turmoil, but never could they guess what she had done, for if they could…she was not prepared to face her father's wrath, not yet. Not when she had nothing to show for it._

_As if her very thoughts had conjured it, she heard the soft singing of a crystal's melody at the back of her mind. She pushed it away, not sure which crystal she was hearing, but at the moment, not wanting to hear either of them—the Kinmoku Crystal, for taunting her, for being still beyond her reach, and the Saffer Crystal, for hypnotizing her with its melody and its energy, and for possibly destroying her newfound friendship with the galaxy's Star Dancer._

_They all ate in silence; even Kakyuu's favorite food of the holiday, the tiny star-shaped cakes that were made from a special recipe that had cinnamon and sugar and honey all in one, failed to lift her mood. But she put on a good face—she was good at masking her emotions, especially when it came to boring lessons she was just trying to get out of; luckily enough she was now considered as well-prepared as anyone could be before taking on the responsibility of ruling a planet, and now all she did was watch her parents and learn some more, unconventionally—she put on a good face because she knew the Starlights, Kinmoku's satellites' Star Dancers, would be arriving and she would have to greet them, as she had begun to do every year._

_She wondered if it would be difficult to hide her newly acquired Star Dancer magic. At least, Galaxia would be there, because the galaxy's Star Dancer could not ignore the other Star Dancers; it would be horribly rude and awfully presumptuous, and for everything Galaxia was—Kakyuu did not think her rude or presumptuous in any way._

_They stood on the steps of the palace, her parents behind her and Galaxia once more her living shadow, though they did not exchange words, and stared down at the approaching star-warriors._

_Taiki was in the lead, as it was the first day of the Star Festival and the Dawn Star Yoake's day. Taiki was the tallest of the three Star Dancers, with brown hair neatly combed back into a tail behind her and bright purple eyes. Yoake's crystal, a dark purple, was displayed prominently at her chest. Her circlet's symbol was a stylized star—a symbol she shared with the other two, a sign that the satellite stars all pulled their power from the same source, and giving credence to the old legend that the three stars were once one. Taiki was the most level-headed of the three, as far as Kakyuu knew, as well as the most learned._

_Behind Taiki was Seiya, Hiru's Star Dancer. As her star crossed the sun at noon—aptly, it was nicknamed the Noon Star—so she came second, and her day was tomorrow—and the height of the Convergence. Seiya was slightly shorter than Taiki, and she had long dark hair and dark blue eyes. Hiru's crystal was a navy blue color, glowing softly but not as radiant as Yoake's crystal. Seiya was the driving force behind the trio of Star Dancers; it was she who was, in effect, the leader; she was the one whose passion drove the other two forwards._

_Last in the line was Yaten, the shortest of the three with silver hair, like what many people believed to be starlight, and pale green eyes. She was the Star Dancer for Hakumei, the Twilight Star; Hakumei's crystal was a pale yellow and as far as Kakyuu could see, it was the dimmest of the three—merely because its time of power had yet to come for two days yet. Yaten was the most reserved of the trio; she was most known for pointing out the flaws in Seiya's plans._

_And of course, each of them bore the customary white wings of a proper Star Dancer._

_Kakyuu felt the faintest brush of feathers as Galaxia moved up to stand beside her; a quick glance in the others told her that the galaxy's Star Dancer's eyes were narrowed, but not in anger, only thoughtfulness. She knew the other star-warriors were not a threat._

_"Greetings and welcome, Star Dancers of the stars of Kinmoku," Kakyuu inclined her head, the formal words rolling off her tongue with ease; she had had to say them for the past two years, and so they had become something of an ingrained memory._

_Taiki bowed, her comrades following suite, with Seiya and Yaten fanning out to either side of Yoake's Star Dancer. "It is our honor to be here, Princess," she replied, and as if by coincidence, all of the stars adorning their circlets seemed to glitter in the light of the Convergence above them and the fire-lilies' points of light clustered about on the far sides of the palace and the few planted alongside the stairs._

_Kakyuu nodded once, gesturing towards Galaxia. "The Star Dancer of the Star of Stars has traveled far to come here. She has expressed an interest in the Star Festival and the unique configuration of our stars."_

_At the mention of the Star of Stars, Taiki's eyes widened fractionally, but to her credit she held her composure, eyes skating across the swirling design on Galaxia's circlet before bowing once more, the other two following her lead—though their bow was not as deep as the one proffered to Kakyuu, who was their planet's princess, it was deep enough, signifying their acknowledgement of the golden Star Dancer's power._

_"Welcome to Kinmoku, warrior of the Heart of the Galaxy. It is an honor to meet you…we pray you are not disappointed with our planet's humble offerings."_

_Galaxia lowered her head in a small bow. "Thank you for allowing me to attend this important part of your culture."_

_The silence reigned once more between the princess of Kinmoku and the galaxy's Star Dancer as pleasantries were exchanged between Kakyuu's parents and the three Star Dancers of the satellite stars. Soon enough the ritualistic conversation was over and they parted—Kakyuu's parents to wander, the three Star Dancers to make their way amongst the crowds of people, and Kakyuu herself to the fire-lily garden._

_Galaxia followed her, as she was supposed to, but she made no effort to stay in conversation._

_Kakyuu wondered once more, what she had done wrong—and how she could possibly fix it._

* * *

The fire-lily flower beneath Kakyuu's palms quivered as she pushed the dirt she'd displaced back into the hole; she pressed the little mound of dirt around the flower into a more even surface. The petals of the bud twitched and she stepped back, letting the light of the Convergence fall on it, and watched silently as the fire-lily uncurled its petals and became another tiny star in a sea of them, reflecting the three stars in droves.

She raised her eyes to those of Galaxia, who was across the garden and who appeared to be only looking at the sky above them, but she could tell when the Star Dancer's eyes returned to the many fire-lilies. But Galaxia said nothing, watching her with that odd expression in her eyes—sadness, Kakyuu wondered? But why should she be sad? Was it all because of whatever had transpired the night before?

She heard a rustling close by—someone was approaching!—and she turned hopefully, already saying, "Galaxia—" before stopping in her tracks, staring without even realizing it, frozen in place as surely as if someone had cast some net of magic to keep her there.

The blood-eyed stranger from the ball was standing almost ten feet away, still wearing the same strange dark clothing, her hood thrown up to disguise her face so that Kakyuu could only see her chilling red eyes.

She knew her instincts were right; and yet she forced herself to say, "Hello…are you lost? Is there something I can help you with…?" Years of court training had taught her to be polite, and it was the only thing she could think of to say besides blurting out the suspicions she and Galaxia had compiled, because she didn't want Blood Eyes to know that they knew she wasn't here for anything good.

Blood Eyes ignored the greeting, hands twitching at her sides, and Kakyuu realized with horror that she meant to use Star Dancer magic. Then Blood Eyes spoke, and it was all Kakyuu could do to not try and find somewhere to hide, her voice was so—_dark_…evil.

_"I will be your downfall, Crown Princess of Kinmoku."_

And now Kakyuu's instincts forced her back as Blood Eyes' hands came up, sketching an all-too-familiar sign; the princess of Kinmoku stumbled over a particularly tall fire-lily and went sprawling, the fireball hurtling over her head, but the crash of it was already dim; light and color and the flash of Galaxia's wings as she spun away from the edge of the garden—all of it disappeared as planes of heavy gray mist folded around Kakyuu.

Shakily she stood, already missing the warmth of the tiny fire-lily flowers, as this strange place had a chilly undercurrent of air. Rubbing her arms, she turned in a circle, but it seemed the same in all directions. No, wait!

She squinted and made out a hazy, indistinct shape in the distance. "Hello?" she called warily, and heard the echo of her voice coming back at her from somewhere in the mists.

_"Hello…ello…ello…"_

Silence…

Kakyuu glanced around again, and, after deciding that nothing was about to jump out at her—as far as her measly senses could tell, anyways—she began to make her way towards the object in the distance. She was very careful about where she placed her feet, in case the fog hid something that would send her to the ground, or drag her under, but it was the same unending flat surface.

She felt her eyes widening as she got closer and now knew that the object, whatever it was, was far taller than anything she had ever seen before. Then the final curls of mist disappeared, and Kakyuu felt her mouth drop open.

She stood before a massive set of doors, covered in runes and glyphs the likes of which she had only seen in far ancient temples. Twisting designs and pictures wove between the different glyphs, and Kakyuu thought for sure she saw the galaxy, for a moment, spread out across the doors, and then, briefly, she saw what must be her own planet, with its sun and much closer three satellite stars. Even on the door, though—Yoake, Hiru, and Hakumei were in Convergence.

_As they were back on Kinmoku._

Kakyuu could not begin to fathom that thought, for a voice spoke from the mists. "Welcome to the Gate of Time."

This voice, strangely, did not echo as Kakyuu's had; and she whirled to meet the gaze of the Star Dancer standing there. She had dark hair that appeared to have a faint greenish tint, and her eyes were dark, with the smallest reddish hue; and they were the strangest thing about her, for though she appeared young, close to Kakyuu's age, it was her eyes that made her seem much older. She carried with her a tall staff shaped somewhat like a very large key—practical, Kakyuu assumed, for a gigantic door. Her wings were folded calmly behind her, and her circlet held the image of a key as well.

Kakyuu then processed what had been said to her. "The…Gate of Time?" The words tasted oddly on her tongue. She glanced back towards the door, but she saw only the meaningless jumble of glyphs and pictures, no more the galaxy or Kinmoku itself. She swallowed, turning back to the Star Dancer. "Who…who are you? And—what is this place?"

"This dimension has no name," the Star Dancer said, unfazed by the questions. "All you need know of it is that it lies outside of time, Princess of Kinmoku."

_Outside of time? _Kakyuu didn't understand. How could there possibly be a place that existed outside of time? She held her questions, though, because she doubted it could be explained in a manner she could comprehend. "You know me?" she asked instead, recognizing that the Star Dancer had named her title.

"Yes." The Star Dancer tilted her head slightly. "You may know me by my planet's name. I am Pluto, the Star Dancer who controls time."

"That's not possible," were the first words out of Kakyuu's mouth. "It's not—you can't possibly _control time_! Galaxia—_Galaxia_ is the strongest Star Dancer in the galaxy and even she can't do that!"

Pluto merely smiled. "It is a matter of consequence," she said, moving past Kakyuu to stand before the door, sliding her key into a previously-unseen keyhole to the right side of the far door. She gave it a half-turn to the left before pulling it free and stepping back as the doors swung open inward, and they were staring into a black void. Kakyuu blinked, about to ask the purpose, before a great flurry of images passed through her mind that she could barely comprehend one in five.

She saw new planets form, she saw plants clinging to rocks and trembling in fierce winds, she saw animals playing about in tall grasses, she saw blazing skies of all different colors, she saw different peoples form tiny clans of their own and begin the first civilizations, she saw great empires stretching across continents and sometimes even planets; she saw many courts and changing houses and waterfalls pounding over mountain passes and a slew of great fire ascending into the sky where three stars burned fiercely against a backdrop of vibrant red…

She had to close her eyes to shut down the flow of pictures, and even then she still caught brief flashes and sounds before all was silent again. She opened her eyes to find that Pluto had shut the doors once more and stood beside her, key in hand. "That was a collection of events that occurred throughout the galaxy within the borders of the past."

Kakyuu could believe that; she had seen pictures more fit for history lessons on her own planet than standing at the Gate of Time in a dimension that was outside of time. She nodded once, still trying to get her bearings. "So this…is the—Gate of Time." She reached out and lightly rested a palm against the door on her side; it felt rather like unremarkable stone, despite its myriad of images and writing; and if there was Star Dancer magic here she could not sense it—it must be woven so tightly into the structure that the magic was now a part of it.

She lifted her head and met Pluto's ancient gaze. "You…brought me here?"

"Yes." The Star Dancer nodded once.

"…Why?"

Instead of answering, Pluto turned to the doors and studied them; for a moment Kakyuu saw a fleeting glimpse of a wide array of planets circling about a single sun—she wondered if that cluster of worlds was where Pluto was from, and if so, how so many worlds could be together in one place. Of course she knew that a system could support more than one planet if it happened to _have_ more, but she had never seen one with quite _so many_ different planets, arranged in so many sizes. There were only about two different pairs that appeared relatively close to the same size. Several had all kinds of moons. But before Kakyuu could ask about the system of planets it had disappeared from her sight, the galaxy once more filling the space.

"Why did you bring me here, Pluto?" she asked again; she would have thought Galaxia would have mentioned a Star Dancer that had the power to control time when she had been speaking of the different forms of life in the galaxy…and yet Kakyuu had heard nothing, not of Pluto or of the strange planetary system with its many planets.

"What do you know of Star Dancers, Princess?" Pluto questioned, not answering her question, but Kakyuu assumed she would eventually be told. It struck her suddenly that the Star Dancer of Time talked in speech patterns similar to the formal way Galaxia spoke. And yet, the three Starlights in turn were perfectly capable of speaking the same way Kakyuu herself did. She wondered if that was significant, but kept her thoughts to herself and answered the question.

"Not much." She half shrugged her shoulders. "Only what Galaxia has told me. The crystals Star Dancers bind to, they give you wings. Signs are used to direct the magic within. It's considered a rite of passage when a Star Dancer removes her limiters. Ah…the first Star Dancer was named Hoshiko."

Pluto nodded faintly. "And what do you know of your own planet's crystal?"

Kakyuu stared fixedly at the Gate of Time and saw a whirling image of the Kinmoku Crystal pass across the stone. "It's…" She swallowed thickly. How could she explain her planet's gemstone? "It…it's red, like a ruby. It has a—a tiny star in its center. It hasn't had a Star Dancer for…for a very long time. And…Galaxia said it might have enough power to equal one fourth of the Star of Stars' energy."

Pluto seemed to be studying the image of the crystal as well. She was silent for a long heartbeat, the giant key flickering as she shifted its weight. "The Kinmoku Crystal is merely waiting."

"For…?" Kakyuu dared not hope.

"For one worthy of it…and of the power that lies within it."

Kakyuu could not stop the single word that escaped her mouth any more than she could make herself stop breathing. "_Me_?"

Pluto's eyes gleamed in the shadows of the gray mist that was slowly condensing around them. "Perhaps." She tilted her head, as if listening to something, or someone. But Kakyuu could sense nothing else in this strange place, nothing but the mists and the great doors and herself and the Star Dancer.

"You should not linger here much longer." Dark eyes flashed. "I called you to this place outside time not to speak of your potential as a Star Dancer. That line of questioning was merely to ascertain how much knowledge you possess." She shook her head once, fingers tracing the edges of tiny glyphs inscribed around the shaft of the key. "I called you here because I have seen, in a moment of clarity, that you—Kakyuu, Crown Princess of Kinmoku—have become a major player in ensuring the continued existence of this galaxy and all those who inhabit it."

"A…" Kakyuu was sure she hadn't heard right. "You—must be mistaken; I—I can't be…I'm not like you or Galaxia or the Starlights. I may have magic, but—but that doesn't make me a Star Dancer!"

"Be that as it may," Pluto intoned, "I am certain that it was you, Princess Kakyuu. You and no other. You, who has a unique connection to the greatest star in the galaxy. You, who wished to befriend a being of unimaginable power. You, who searched out the Heart of the Galaxy and survived the white fire at its core. You, who dreamed of a Star Dancer's crystal and the star harbored at its heart. You will be instrumental in ensuring the prevention of the End of Stars."

_The End of Stars_. The very air seemed to grow cold around Kakyuu at those words; and she could not quite wrap her mind around it, but there was power in those words. Never mind she had no idea what they meant, or how she was supposed to help prevent it—those words spelled something horribly dangerous.

She could not help but wonder what her parents would say, if they knew what she had been up to these past few days: conversing with Star Dancers, finding magic, searching out crystals…

She found Pluto's eyes. "The…the End of Stars…?" she asked slowly, feeling her hands beginning to curl into fists. Where had this fear come from? "…What is the—the End of Stars?"

The Star Dancer of Time's expression was grave. She did not answer, merely casting a look towards the doors. "It is time you left here."

And suddenly Kakyuu thought—_What about my parents? Have they noticed I'm gone? How long have I been here? What about Blood Eyes—has something happened to Galaxia? _(She considered she might be able to tell if something horrible had happened to the golden Star Dancer, but she didn't completely trust herself)

"You need not worry," Pluto proclaimed, turning to the door and sliding her key back into the keyhole. With a rumble that Kakyuu had not noticed the first time, the Gate of Time opened, and they once more stared into a black void. A frigid blast of air swept from the darkness and Kakyuu shivered, only slightly aware of the Star Dancer at her side. "Your coming here did not disturb the events of your leaving. When you return, it shall seem as though you had only blinked." She paused. "But you will keep the memories of this place. Remember what I have told you. You must be ready for the End of Stars."

"How can I be ready?" Kakyuu asked helplessly, feeling a faint flicker of her magic at last as the void before them grew misty and surprisingly colorful…_like the lights of many fire-lilies strewn across the ground and the blue sky bright with converging stars…_

"You shall see," was all Pluto said, and as though her body recognized that as a signal to leave even though her mind was still clamoring for answers, Kakyuu walked across the threshold—

—and the world tilted jarringly, a crashing noise resounding in her ears and she felt the brush of many petals against her back. She was staring up into the radiant Kinmoku sky, the three stars hovering close to the center, nearly blocking out the sun.

She sat up warily; but she saw that Blood Eyes was gone, no lingering affect left in the garden save for the scorch marks along one far wall, low to the ground where the force of the fireball had died out. Kakyuu's stumble into the flower beds, it seemed, had really saved her.

Unbidden, the memory of the prophetic words snuck back into her thoughts:

_The End of Stars._

What did it mean? How was she supposed to stop it when she could barely perform magic? The Kinmoku Crystal still needed a host—and what if that person wasn't meant to be Kakyuu?

She refused to allow herself to think that, because why else would the crystal call to her? Why else would it make itself known to her in her dreams—why else would it respond to the Saffer Crystal in such a way?

_"Princess."_

Kakyuu blinked and managed to focus on Galaxia; the Star Dancer was standing over her with an impassive look on her face. Kakyuu imagined she'd been staring off into nothing for some time now. Slowly she got to her feet, mindful not to collide with Galaxia, and glanced up into the sky, where the Convergence still shone brightly. _If the End of Stars comes…all this will go away._

She turned, meeting the eyes of the galaxy's Star Dancer. "Galaxia…"

"Yes, Princess…?"

"Could you—_would_ you—tell me about the End of Stars?"


	8. Something is Coming

_Author's Note: _This isn't one of my better chapters, but you get some more explanations, a little food for thought, I suppose. We still don't have all the explanations—that's coming eventually. Next chapter, however, promises to have some action, so you all can be satisfied, if, you know, you like that kind of thing and if I can manage to write it decently. There's not much else to say, except—read, enjoy, and tell me what you think!

* * *

Star Dancer

_Part Eight: Something is Coming_

_Tell me of the End of Stars, if only to know what I face!_

The words echoed about Kakyuu; Galaxia had gone still, as if she had become a statue. The Star Dancer's eyes slowly focused on her. "Where did you hear of that, Princess?"

"I—" Kakyuu shook her head faintly. "There was this…dimension, and a great set of doors and this Star Dancer who called herself Pluto—"

"Pluto?" Galaxia's eyebrows rose, her eyes glimmering with the vestiges of surprise. "It is rare, the moments when she chooses to show herself. I myself have only met her a total of two times. And whenever she shows herself…there is always a dire circumstance." Red eyes gazed upon Kakyuu with an air of faint curiosity. "What did you do to garner her attention, of all Star Dancers?"

Kakyuu carefully stepped from the bed of the fire-lilies, mindful of the bright orange-red petals. "It wasn't something I did, per se…" The Star Dancer of Time's words echoed in her ears: _You will be instrumental in ensuring the prevention of the End of Stars. _"It's more…something I _will _do."

Galaxia eyed her, a carefully schooled expression of blankness on her face. "What is it you will do that Pluto felt it necessary to contact you about it, Princess?"

"The…the End of Stars—" Kakyuu could get no further than that as Galaxia's wings unfurled with a snap, as if in some great distress. The galaxy's Star Dancer took one faltering step towards her, and Kakyuu looked into her eyes and could not count how many different emotions that warred in their depths. The Saffer Crystal's insistent melody brushed against her ears, her mind, her heart, and she thought that it might be trying to comfort her, for whatever reason. Then Galaxia spoke, and Kakyuu understood:

"Tell me she did not say you would bring about the End of Stars, Princess! _Not you_!"

And oh, it was a testament to Kakyuu's own heart that she did not say what she wanted to say; because she was so very grateful that the Star Dancer had such faith in her. It was to her great relief that she was able to say, "She didn't say that. She told me…she told me I would be 'instrumental in ensuring the prevention of the End of Stars'."

Galaxia's wings dropped back to her shoulders with a faint sigh, and the song of the blue galaxy gem dwindled, still passing through Kakyuu's mind but no longer forcing its way to the forefront of her thoughts, its current of comfort slowly winding its way through her. "Good," the Star Dancer breathed. "Good… Did she say how you would accomplish this?"

The princess of Kinmoku shook her head once. "She only said that I had to be ready. I don't know how, or when, or even where…" She heaved a sigh. "Do you know anything about the End of Stars?"

Galaxia lowered her head, one hand lightly rising to trace the edges of the Saffer Crystal. "I know little of the event known as the End of Stars," she said finally, and Kakyuu's heart sank. "It is a time of no stars. It is brought in madness and in rage, but I do not know exactly what would occur should the End of Stars happen. The Star of Stars once told me that the End of Stars has been foretold since the beginning of time. That Pluto said you would play a part in preventing it…means that _something_ is coming. Whether or not that will result in the End of Stars…I cannot say."

Kakyuu nodded, accepting that, because she couldn't expect Galaxia to know everything about the galaxy and what went on within it, now could she? "Galaxia," she said, bringing the Star Dancer's attention to her, "could you tell me about where Pluto comes from?" The brief image of the strange planetary system with many planets that she had seen on Pluto's Gate of Time resurfaced in her memory—was that where the Star Dancer of Time originated from?

Galaxia hesitated, tipping her head to one side. "I have not mentioned it before?"

"I don't think so."

The golden Star Dancer extended a hand, palm up. A glowing tendril of star-energy coiled into existence, shifting and folding into that selfsame picture Kakyuu had seen on the doors of the Gate of Time—the planetary system with a single star at its center, and nine orbiting planets. A tiny strain of song passed through her ears as she looked upon the slowly turning image floating above Galaxia's hand.

Galaxia pointed first to the innermost planet, a tiny thing. "This planet is known as _Mercury_," she said. "Its Star Dancer controls ice. Its people are known for their intelligence and craftsmanship of machinery."

The second planet was larger than little Mercury, and a golden color. "_Venus_," Galaxia named it. "Its Star Dancer controls metal. Its people are known for their skills at anything related to love…including warfare."

The third planet was a vibrant blue color; and with a start, Kakyuu recalled the time she had taken on the Star of Stars' energy, and had seen a meteorite and crushed it without a thought—the remains had fallen into the atmosphere of a _blue planet_. "_Earth_, alternatively known as _Terra_," Galaxia stated. "Its Star Dancer controls the ground. Its people are most known for their squabbling amongst one another."

Instead of moving on to the next planet, Galaxia indicated the moon circling the blue planet. "This moon is known as _Luna_. It is the only lunar crystal in the system, despite the copious amounts of other moons, and its Star Dancer controls light. Its people are notorious for their forgiving natures."

The fourth planet, as if to be in contrast with the one before it, was a rusty red color. "_Mars_," Galaxia said. "Its Star Dancer controls fire. Its people are known for their warriors and for their prayer-givers."

The fifth planet was the biggest of them all, and a swirling brown color. "_Jupiter_," Galaxia said. "Its Star Dancer controls storms. Its people are known for their ability to grow plants of all kinds."

The sixth planet was perhaps the most unique of the bunch, with a brownish color and wide, oval rings circling it. "_Saturn_," Galaxia said, narrowing her eyes faintly. "Its Star Dancer can bring death and rebirth. It has no people, only a Star Dancer."

The seventh planet was a bright pale blue color, with very pale rings. "_Uranus_," Galaxia said. "Its Star Dancer can control the winds. Its people, like those of Mars, have a warrior's nature."

The eighth planet was a darker blue color than Uranus, but not the same as Earth. "_Neptune_," Galaxia said. "Its Star Dancer can control the seas. Its people are more artists than anything else."

Now she came to the final planet, the tiny one of a pale icy blue color, careening about on its erratic orbit. "_Pluto_," Galaxia looked at the image of the tiny planet. "You have already met its Star Dancer. And, like Saturn, it has no people save for the Star Dancer it calls its own."

Kakyuu studied the picture of the planetary system, all rotating around the tiny sun, glowing with traces of gold from the star-energy. "There are so many worlds," she murmured, glancing to Galaxia's face. "Have you visited them all?"

"Most," the golden Star Dancer allowed. "I have never set foot on Earth, or Terra as the other planets call it. Pluto and Saturn hold nothing save their Star Dancers, and one is bound to an eternal post as Guardian of the Gate of Time, and the other spends much of her time on Luna. But the other planets, I have been to them."

"Do you know their current Star Dancers?" Kakyuu queried curiously.

To her disappointment, Galaxia shook her head slightly. "I have only ever met Pluto. And she never speaks much of the other Star Dancers of the Sol system. I have seen the others, but from a distance, and I never spoke to them nor properly exchanged introductions." She closed her hand into a fist and the image of the Sol system disappeared into glittering dust that fell lightly to the ground at their feet.

"Ah," Kakyuu crouched and lightly prodded at a fire-lily. Seeing the fire-lilies reminded her abruptly of Blood Eyes, and her cruel words of how she would be Kakyuu's downfall. "Galaxia, did you see Blood Eyes in the garden?"

The galaxy's Star Dancer's eyes darkened faintly as she looked down into the sea of fire-lilies. "She was here," Galaxia murmured, her hands twitching at her sides as if wishing to draw a sign. Kakyuu was glad that she understood the nickname the princess of Kinmoku had given the dark stranger; it made things easier, and besides, they didn't know her name anyhow. "She was here…and then she was gone after the first fireball died out."

"What do you mean, 'gone'?" Kakyuu's eyebrows drew closer together in confusion.

"Exactly what I say. She was here, and then she was gone. Like…" Galaxia's face twisted, the expression she used when searching for words. "…like the blink of an eye. Here one moment, and gone the next. I know not the magic she used to garner her escape, but it did seem…familiar."

"You know her?"

Galaxia frowned faintly, following Kakyuu's example and poking at the fire-lily closest to her; the little flower was already shining brighter than its fellows. "No…at least, I do not believe so. Still…" She shook her head once. "I do not understand it. Did she speak to you? Did you recognize her voice?"

"She only said one thing to me…that she would be my downfall." Kakyuu shuddered. "I wasn't really paying attention to her voice specifically…it sounded dark and evil and…I didn't really want to listen, but then she threw the fireball and I tripped into the fire-lilies and then I wasn't even in the fire-lilies anymore and Pluto was there—"

"Princess," Galaxia cut in, one hand half-rising from the fire-lily as if she meant to touch Kakyuu, to bring her back from the wandering memory, but fell back when Kakyuu's eyes turned to her.

"I was rambling, wasn't I?" Kakyuu laughed nervously. "Sorry. Sometimes I do that," she added lamely, sighing despondently in her mind at her own horrible excuses. "But…" She narrowed her eyes, staring at the fire-lily cupped in her hands. "…I think…possibly her voice may have sounded _vaguely _familiar. If there wasn't all the…the _darkness _warping it."

"Strange," the galaxy's Star Dancer commented, sitting back on her heels, her wings rustling behind her in a display of nervousness or restlessness Kakyuu couldn't tell. "We should be wary of that one," Galaxia sighed, absently pushing her circlet back onto her forehead. "If she means to be your downfall…"

Silence filled the air. Kakyuu cringed away from the thought—for all of her wishes to be a Star Dancer, she did not want to die at any stage in the process. _What would have happened_, she wondered, _if Galaxia had been farther away? If Blood Eyes had chosen to throw more than just the one fireball? If Pluto had not decided to take me to her dimension to speak of my place in preventing the End of Stars?_

Kakyuu shook her head doggedly; she would not let herself linger on what could have happened. What mattered was that it did not, and she was still here despite Blood Eyes' vow to destroy her. _She was still here._

Thinking of Blood Eyes made her think of the ball, and in turn the events after it. She eyed the Saffer Crystal, so quiet and docile when it was not singing its song to her. And that was another thing—why did the blue gemstone sing to her at all? It was starting to rank right up next to the Kinmoku Crystal in annoyingness, because it simply _did not stop_, like it was…pushing her towards something.

_Someone?_

"Galaxia," Kakyuu said, trying her hardest to sound as casual as possible, "does the Saffer Crystal affect anyone else…adversely?" She winced at the phrasing, but she could think of no better way to say it.

"Only two beings…three if you wish to be truly technical about it…have ever come into contact with it, so I cannot say."

"No, I meant—" Kakyuu twisted her hands into her skirt, frustration slipping through the forced casualness. "I mean…it hardly _ever _stops pestering me with its song. It's starting to nag at me, like the Kinmoku Crystal does. I can ignore it, yes, but…"

Galaxia looked down, studying the blue crystal that was the embodiment of her power. "Few can hear it," she murmured softly, so that Kakyuu had to strain her ears to hear her. "The song…I believe the Saffer Crystal is…fond of you, insofar as jewels can have claim to emotions. It sings to you because the crystal that calls to your heart refuses you yet."

Kakyuu wanted so badly to cry out, _But the Heart of the Galaxy calls to my heart too! Not just the Kinmoku Crystal, it is the Saffer Crystal too! _She kept her mouth shut with a valiant effort; she did not know what Galaxia would think of that, what the implications of a crystal's constant song meant for a Star Dancer's mind and thoughts, especially if they were not truly born, but created with the crystal bound to them from the very beginning.

And now the thought of obeying the sapphire jewel's song came back to her; the feeling of being both in two places and at the same time one; feeling wings that were like her own beating against the sky, feeling the rush of star-energy coursing through her, bracelets like crystallized ice covering her wrists, and the _burning_—

Kakyuu rubbed at her wrists absently, locking her gaze onto Galaxia's left limiter, the one closest to her. The miniature Saffer Crystal glittered against the gold, winking in the light of the fire-lilies, an echo of power.

"Galaxia…" she began carefully, cautiously. The star-warrior's eyes were on the blue gemstone; she did not look up until Kakyuu dared to reach out and lightly touch her arm. "_Galaxia_."

Red eyes rose to meet hers, and suddenly Kakyuu was unsure of herself. Could she ask of something that the Star Dancer had refused to tell her before? What if it was something deeply personal? How could she possibly know what to say, how to say it…_whether or not to say it at all_?

She looked into those red eyes, so like her own and filled with the light of a distant star, and thought that she did not want to see the golden Star Dancer in pain, but Kakyuu's mother had always said that talking about something helped. And Galaxia had been alone for so long… Kakyuu wasn't even sure the Star Dancer knew how to be a friend to someone, even though she had been speaking with Kakyuu for days, that was only because they were constantly in each other's company. Without her father's edict, Kakyuu wondered if she would have approached the galaxy's star-warrior, what with all the fearsome rumors swirling around.

Looking into Galaxia's sad eyes, she liked to think she would. "Galaxia," she said, once more cautious, and eyed the limiter. "Do you remember—the night we went flying, on my name-day?"

The Star Dancer's eyes were guarded now as she nodded once, keeping her gaze fixed on the princess of Kinmoku.

"Please…would you tell me what—what the burning was?" She rubbed at her wrist reflexively. As Galaxia began to shake her head, eyes flickering with an emotion the princess of Kinmoku thought she knew well, Kakyuu curled one hand around the limiter on Galaxia's left wrist, and the shock of the contact was enough to make the Star Dancer freeze momentarily in place.

"Please," Kakyuu repeated, certain her eyes were staring at Galaxia as if she could see right through her. "Please, it seems like…" She searched for a word, alighting upon one with all the eagerness of a dog at a bone, "…like a _burden_, a hard burden to bear, and my mother always told me…told me that it helps to talk about things that trouble you, so you aren't holding it up inside of you."

Galaxia looked away, but she did not move, staring fixedly at the limiters on her wrists, her hands curling into loose fists that trembled at her sides. Heart in her mouth, Kakyuu watched her, waiting for any sign that the Star Dancer would disappear in the flurry of white feathers like she had done the last time. "_Please?_" Kakyuu dared to whisper, and the Star Dancer's head lowered so that she could not see the other's eyes.

The fire-lilies rustled at their feet in a brief breeze. Kakyuu strained her ears; now the tones of the Saffer Crystal's melody were fading into one another, rapid tiny notes as if the crystal was conveying some sense of fear.

_Fear or anxiety? Or some other emotion?_

At last Galaxia heaved a shuddering sigh, her wings quivering at her shoulders. Kakyuu released the limiter in her hand—the thick gold was still as cold as ice—and watched as the Star Dancer pulled at it; for a half second she was worried that Galaxia intended to remove them completely, before she realized that the star-warrior had pulled the limiter back on her forearm and not forwards over her hand. She raised the exposed forearm towards the light of the fire-lilies, and Kakyuu froze involuntarily, staring at the marking coiling across Galaxia's wrist, right in the place where the limiter normally was.

It was a set of curling black markings, like delicate filigree, but even staring at the seemingly innocent patterns Kakyuu could detect a sense of rage to them, as if they had been created by some creature's dying breath, in hatred of the galaxy's Star Dancer. She felt the beginnings of fear—_she did not understand_. Were the markings what had burned her—no, _Galaxia_—on the night of Kakyuu's name-day?

"What do they do?" she whispered, turning her head this way and that, trying to see the marking from all angles. She was tempted to touch, but now erred on the side of caution, well remembering what had occurred the last time she had attempted to reach out to the Star Dancer.

Galaxia's voice was so quiet it was almost as if she was not speaking at all, and that Kakyuu was merely hearing the passage of air. "They are a curse." The Saffer Crystal's melody swelled in her ears, and Kakyuu could not think to begin to sort the emotions that filled the rapid song, but she thought she heard fear and sadness and anger and pain and a sigh all rolled together.

"A curse?" Kakyuu looked over the thin black markings; they didn't seem like much, certainly not enough to be able to affect the galaxy's Star Dancer in any way. Galaxia's head bobbed in a tiny nod.

Kakyuu was quiet for a long moment, thinking of the word _curse _and what it entailed. She remembered the burning; but she did not know what the ink-black images on Galaxia's wrist did, and she wasn't going to ask. _That_, she thought, _might be too much._ She settled on an easier question—so she thought—and asked, "Who…or _what_…did this to you?"

Galaxia was silent so long that the princess of Kinmoku was beginning to think that she wouldn't answer at all; but the Star Dancer raised her head slightly, enough so that Kakyuu could meet her eyes. The star-warrior's lips twitched into a small frown. "You will face something like them as well…so you should know."

"…It is the first rite of passage for a Star Dancer newly bonded to a crystal. The crystal's power grants you wings and great magic…and it will also divide you."

"Divide…?" Kakyuu tilted her head slightly, feeling confused. "Do you mean—it will split you in _half_?" _And isn't that a strange thought…?_

"In a way." Galaxia clasped her hands together. "The crystal forms a…a reflection of yourself, an 'other self' as it is, an image with all your power and all your memories and all your knowledge… And you must do battle with her, for it is always the hardest to defeat yourself, someone who knows everything you do. Your other self is your opposite; and she will stop at nothing to defeat you utterly. You must be stronger than she…through whatever way you can accomplish. They say that the reason for this battle between you and your other self is that you cannot have a divided heart; you must be sure in your convictions and determined to protect that which has been gifted to you."

"Your other self…did that?" Kakyuu gestured towards the black curling lines.

Galaxia's free hand touched lightly upon the Saffer Crystal. "Yes…it was my mistake, and now I must live with it. Such are the consequences of great power."

_Such are the consequences of great power. _Kakyuu had heard the Star Dancer say that before…no, not exactly; she had heard Galaxia say, _Such is the nature of great power. Nature_, not _consequence_. (_Was there even a difference?_)

"Would you…tell me about it someday?" _Someday_, not necessarily today or tomorrow or even next week; Kakyuu could be patient when she wanted to be. She had the feeling that Galaxia had never had the chance to speak to anyone about things like this—the curse she bore, the battle with her other self, the song of the Saffer Crystal that was constantly reaching out to Kakyuu…_did it want something from her? Or was it trying to _show _her something?_

Galaxia let out a soft sigh and pushed the limiter bracelet back into place, removing the dark swirls from Kakyuu's sight. "Perhaps…" the golden Star Dancer allowed. "Perhaps…someday…"

And Kakyuu could accept that. Really, she should consider it a miracle that Galaxia had even told her that much. The princess of Kinmoku watched the Star Dancer, unable to stop the thought: _Poor lonely Star Dancer…poor, poor Star Dancer for the wedge of her power and her knowledge and her reputation…_

The galaxy's star crystal was singing again, softly at the edges of Kakyuu's mind. _An apology?_ she wondered. It wasn't pushing her—_or maybe it was pulling?_—in whatever direction it was trying to lead her, not that she knew exactly what it wanted from her, either. She couldn't very well ask Galaxia, because she considered that kind of question to be heading into the territory of morbidly awkward.

Still, this had to be something of an accomplishment, and so Kakyuu gave the Star Dancer two seconds' pause before carefully reaching out and hugging her. This was only the second time Kakyuu had embraced Galaxia, and the Star Dancer still appeared to be entirely unsure on what to do in response. The blue stellar crystal hummed in Kakyuu's ears as she whispered, "Thank you…thank you for sharing with me." She knew that Galaxia had no reason to tell her; she could have just as easily downright refused or simply said nothing at all.

"Princess…" Galaxia sighed softly, as if she'd finally realized that there was no point in arguing with Kakyuu. Feathers brushed against Kakyuu's right arm as the white wings slowly relaxed.

And the Saffer Crystal chose that moment to let out a bright beam of light, and Kakyuu averted her eyes to the circular jewel, seeing that the little star within it had risen to the surface, the blue depths of the crystal nearly gone at the edges, pushed away by the fierce golden light.

"What the—" Kakyuu released Galaxia and fell back, staring wide-eyed at the Saffer Crystal. "It doesn't…normally do that, does it?" she asked cautiously.

The Star Dancer was staring down at the blue gemstone as well, and the expression of shock on her face answered Kakyuu's question more than any words could have. Carefully, Kakyuu eyed the Saffer Crystal, but the tiny star within it was receding quickly, swallowed up by the sapphire blue of the crystal once more.

"It has never done that before," Galaxia murmured, prodding at the crystal's surface lightly with a finger, but it did little more than glimmer.

"Do you know what it means?" the princess of Kinmoku breathed, eyes flicking from Galaxia's face to the dormant Saffer Crystal and back again.

"I…" the golden Star Dancer shook her head once, the galaxy sign on her circlet flaring up brightly before dimming again. "No…but I think…it might not be the Saffer Crystal."

"What could it be, if not the crystal?"

Galaxia's gaze was distant, as if she was looking to the Star of Stars for answers. "I do not think I would be able to explain it to you properly, Princess…and it might be presumptuous of me, to say what I believe it is trying to do."

"Presumptuous…?" Kakyuu echoed, crossing her arms. "But—"

"Perhaps you could find another Star Dancer to help you understand…Pluto might know." Galaxia closed her eyes. "Do not worry yourself over it, Princess. It is, as of the moment, not an important thing, and you will, eventually, know of it anyways."

Kakyuu felt a frown cross her face. Dismissing the Saffer Crystal's odd reaction—or whatever it was that had caused the blue galaxy crystal to light up like that—made her feel like she'd stumbled upon some deep, dark secret; but if Galaxia said she would learn of it later…

"All right," she sighed, conceding defeat; Galaxia had already told her about the curse and that was more than Kakyuu had expected in the first place. She got to her feet, the Star Dancer following suite.

"Come on, Galaxia," Kakyuu said, impulsively grabbing the Star Dancer's hand and pulling her towards the entrance to the fire-lily garden. "There's still more of the Star Festival to see!"

She pushed away the thoughts of Blood Eyes, of what Galaxia wouldn't—couldn't?—tell her; for now, she was content. The three stars burned brightly in the sky high above their heads, and Kakyuu caught one last glimpse of the fire-lilies stretching their petals towards the great light just before she rounded the corner.

For now, everything was as it should be.


	9. Show Me Your Power

_Author's Note: _Here's the next chapter! I know I was delayed a bit in posting it—this was the first chapter with some "real" action in it, so I had to think of how to write it properly. I'm not sure it's exactly the way I want it to be, but it's close, and for now that's good enough. Read, enjoy, and remember to tell me what you think!

* * *

Star Dancer

_Part Nine: Show Me Your Power_

_More to learn, more to remember…_

Kakyuu watched as the golden Star Dancer carefully marked a small white circle on the floor of their courtyard. A week had passed since the end of the Star Festival, and things had been going relatively smoothly for the princess of Kinmoku. To Kakyuu's happiness, she could now conjure fireballs easily; and this morning Galaxia had said that they would start a different spell today, but had not given Kakyuu any clues as to what that spell might be. So she was left standing off to the side of the courtyard, watching the Star Dancer make two identical circles of chalk about two feet in diameter and opposite each other on the far sides of the courtyard.

"What are we doing today?" Kakyuu asked, for what had to be the fifth time.

The golden Star Dancer straightened, studying her handiwork before letting the chalk disappear in a burst of magic before she strode over to Kakyuu. "Stand in the circle to your right."

Confused, the princess of Kinmoku moved to the chalk circle, stepping carefully over the line and standing at the center; she looked on as the Star Dancer took position opposite her. "Now," Galaxia instructed, "throw a fireball at me."

"What?" Kakyuu frowned, certain she hadn't heard right. Before when they practiced, Kakyuu had always been throwing her fireballs at manifested targets woven of Galaxia's magic. She'd never thrown anything in even the remote direction of Galaxia for fear of losing her chance to seize her dream. And now…she fought off the image of Blood Eyes throwing the fireball in her direction; she shook her head and called, "Why?"

"It is part of the spell you will learn today. You need not worry; I am stronger than I appear. Your fireball cannot hurt me."

_That doesn't make me feel any better_, Kakyuu thought morosely, weaving the now-familiar sign in the air before her, the tug on the magic within her spreading into her tingling hands, a spark blossoming into a blazing orange-red fireball. She held it carefully, eyeing Galaxia opposite her. "You're sure?" she said loudly, just to be certain.

"If I was not, I would not ask. Throw the fireball, Princess."

_Here goes nothing… _Kakyuu tossed the fireball into the air, fully expecting the Star Dancer to vaporize it in midair with some kind of magic she hadn't seen yet, or perform some spell that could bounce it back. Instead, she watched with growing horror as Galaxia did exactly nothing as the fireball sailed directly for her. Unfortunate indeed that Kakyuu's aim had improved drastically from all the practice.

But she knew no way to call the magic back; her legs were tensed to run, was even about to move when Galaxia said calmly, "Do not move, Princess."

_Why are you so calm when you're about to be burned? _Do_ something! _Kakyuu kept these words to herself, only staring across the courtyard with wild eyes as the fireball neared Galaxia. The collision she was waiting for, however, didn't happen, or at least, not in the way she expected it to.

A full foot before the fireball would have struck Galaxia's shoulder, the burning projectile slammed into an invisible wall. As the fireball was consumed into sparks, Kakyuu caught sight of a faint golden light shimmering across the Star Dancer's form, as if it were following her every move.

"Did you see?"

Kakyuu nodded slowly, knowing puzzlement was clear on her face. "The fireball hit the…shimmery light wall…thing," she finished lamely, not sure of the technical term.

"It is known as a shield," Galaxia explained, her wings stirring at her back. "It is a specific type of barrier magic that is focused upon the Star Dancer herself. Many use them only in battle, but I usually keep mine active most if not all of the time I spend on other planets, as I am rarely a welcome guest. Shields can cover parts of your body or all of you at once, and can be removed and replaced at will. The sign is simple, and the shield spell is one of the few you do not need to continually use your hands for the weaving of the magic. Once you initiate your shield and are familiar with the symbol needed, you can visualize it in your mind and need not worry about using your hands."

"Sounds good," Kakyuu stretched out her arms. "So I'm going to practice making a shield? What's the purpose of the circles, then?"

Galaxia's eyes glittered. "They are here to show your improvement. Let us make it a…a game, if you will. You win if you can succeed in pushing me out of the circle I stand in. You lose, however, if you are incapable of keeping your shield and are forced to step outside of your circle."

Kakyuu considered this. "What happens if I win?"

"I will answer one question of your choice, completely and honestly."

Kakyuu's eyes widened. She hadn't thought that Galaxia might think to include a reward, especially one that she would actually want to work for. _One question, answered completely and honestly… _"Does this include any necessary explanations in case I ask a question that has information I might not understand in it?"

"I said I would answer you completely. This includes any clarification needed on your part," the Star Dancer answered calmly.

"All right," Kakyuu nodded decisively. "I'll try it. What is the sign for shield?"

Galaxia raised her eyebrows. "This is much, much simpler than the _Fireball _rune," she said, "and you may end up thinking you would have been better off learning this first before the fireball." When Kakyuu made no comment, the galaxy's Star Dancer lifted one hand, drawing a faint circle in shimmering golden light before spreading her hand through the image, casting golden sparks in all directions. For a brief instant, she was outlined in gold, like the light had become something of a second skin, until it paled to transparent and then to nothing at all, the slightest quiver in the air.

Kakyuu blinked. "That's it…?" She didn't know Star Dancer signs could be…_that _simple.

"That is all, Princess. You try."

Kakyuu shrugged slightly. If that was all, then that was all. She reached inwards, tugged on that insistent little flame that burned at her core, allowing the magic to flow through her fingertips. She copied the symbol easily, the circle of red magic glowing iridescent in the air in front of her before it cascaded into fiery sparks as she completed the second part of the sign.

At first there was nothing; then she sensed a subtle shift in the air. She closed her eyes and focused—_Shield_, she thought firmly._ Shield! _She opened her eyes to see faint scarlet magic fading into nothingness around her. Kakyuu thought of the golden light around Galaxia and tried to look harder, to see her shield even though she knew it would not appear to anyone else save perhaps the Star Dancer opposite her.

Slowly but surely, the magic flickered into her sight, flowing about her in a continuous swirling pattern, as if it were disrupted by the breeze. "I got it!" A burst of laughter bubbled up from her throat. "_I got it first try_!"

"Indeed," Galaxia murmured; her eyes were somber. "But will it withstand the force of another attack?" She painted the painstakingly familiar fireball sign and a golden ball of flame appeared in her hand. With a jolt, Kakyuu realized the Star Dancer intended to do the very same thing Kakyuu had been asked to do to her—throw the fireball while her shield was active.

"W-wait, hold on a second here," Kakyuu babbled, her arms flailing. "You're just going to throw that at me? What if my shield's horrible?"

"If it makes you feel any better, this fireball is perhaps the smallest drop of power I have ever used." Galaxia was not to know that those words did not make Kakyuu feel any better about standing and watching a fiery doom approach her. "Couldn't you make it…smaller?" she queried meekly.

The golden Star Dancer was silent a long moment before the fireball in her hand shrank slowly to the size of a ball that could be caught with one hand. "Are you satisfied?"

"Yes…?" Kakyuu was not sure, but Galaxia did not give her any more time to consider; the yellow fireball was already arcing into a perfect parabola across the courtyard and aiming straight for the princess of Kinmoku.

Kakyuu was suddenly aware of the chalk circle around her feet. If she stepped back like her instincts of self-preservation were screaming at her to do, she would forfeit her chance to learn about…well, whatever she happened to choose from Galaxia. And that was too promising a reward, as the Star Dancer had assured, and so Kakyuu forced herself to stay still and watch the incoming missile.

The fireball neared her head and she was starting to get a little worried when it exploded into a rain of embers, crimson magic outlined against the air before it faded from Kakyuu's vision. She was unharmed, and still within the borders of the chalk circle. She felt a small grin growing on her face. _Maybe this isn't so hard after all…_

She was so elated that she almost missed the second fireball.

When the second exploded on her shield, she saw fine cracks as if the light were something like glass, wavering in the air before her. Seconds later, she was standing in crumbling red glass that was fast flaking away into lights floating away on the wind.

"Wha…" Kakyuu blinked rapidly, feeling her mouth drop open. "You didn't tell me that there was another one coming!"

"An opponent will not tell you when they intend to attack," Galaxia reminded her. "And you must learn to strengthen your shield. Two fireballs would make for a very fast battle indeed."

Kakyuu eyed the circle of chalk at her feet. _One question, answered completely and honestly. _She nodded firmly. "You said I don't have to make the sign with my hands anymore, right?"

"If you feel you know it enough to see it in your mind's eye, then yes." The Star Dancer nodded, a fireball appearing in her hands. "Are you prepared?"

Kakyuu focused on the fireball, recalling the motions of the _Shield _rune. She saw the barest edges of red flickering in her peripheral vision—how to make it stronger? She imagined the star of the Kinmoku Crystal, how it was captured within the walls of gemstone. All she had to do was make her shield like the Kinmoku Crystal's surface, for how else could it contain the light of a planet? Her gaze turned to the Saffer Crystal, benignly glowing with the faintest reflection of the Star of Stars. Would it be better to attempt emulating the crystal that managed to contain the Heart of the Galaxy?

_My planet_, she decided. _Kinmoku is my planet. The only connection I have to the Star of Stars is through its Star Dancer…and its gift of magic. _She concentrated her thoughts on the image of the crystal of her planet, all bright ruby and orange-yellow star burning within it. _Shield! _The red light pulsed; she nodded to Galaxia.

The first and second fireballs shattered against her shield; and she smiled, for she was still unharmed and within her circle. The third, fourth, and fifth fireballs were harder to ignore, because self-preservation dictated that she dodge, but she stayed put, taking calming breaths as the orbs of flame exploded into raining cinders.

"Try a little harder!" she called to the galaxy's Star Dancer. Galaxia's eyebrows rose, but she said nothing, the sign of the galaxy glittering gold against her forehead. "As you wish."

Kakyuu almost wished she hadn't said anything at all, when the barrage of fireballs packed closely together flew towards her. Her hands curled into fists at her sides; the Kinmoku Crystal burned like a brand in her mind. She imagined she could hear its song weaving through her mind, offering tantalizing power, the roaring energy of the planet surging beneath her.

One fireball crashed down on the stones beside her; two others fell short, burning out and the tiny remnant flames licking at the rim of the chalk circle. A total of five, however, crashed into Kakyuu's shield and were destroyed, wafts of smoke drifting past her.

"I think I'm getting this," Kakyuu told Galaxia, not too proudly. It had taken her comparatively much longer to master the fireball, and yet this shield business seemed so much easier it was beginning to border on the ridiculous. "Can you put more power into the fireballs?"

Galaxia hesitated a moment before bowing her head in acquiescence. Kakyuu had no idea how much energy she was putting into the fireballs; maybe a drop from the Star of Stars' great reserves. _But how big is a drop? _she reflected, frowning slightly. But all the same, she was eager to test her newfound skill against a stronger attack. She waved a hand as Galaxia began to create another fireball. "Could you try a different attack this time?"

The golden Star Dancer again hesitated, though now it was as if she was merely thinking. At long last she extended her hands before her, palms out, and wove a sign Kakyuu read as _Sunbeam_, though she knew that wasn't quite the correct translation. A burst of golden light poured from Galaxia's hands, like concentrated star-energy, and crashed into Kakyuu's shield full force.

The princess of Kinmoku glared at her shield as it flickered into existence, wavering at the force of the attack. She imagined the Kinmoku Crystal, as if she were the star harbored at its core and her shield were the outer walls; as the golden light fell away, the myriad cracks in the red light-glass slowly grew together.

"Better," Galaxia nodded quickly. "You are learning."

Kakyuu smiled. It was rare to receive the star-warrior's praise; and to have won it surprisingly easily was something of a mind-bobbling concept. She narrowed her eyes. "Are you able to see others' shields too, if they're active?"

"If you choose to do so, then yes," the golden Star Dancer inclined her head in answer. "You merely must expand your search once you are able to see your shield; look beyond yourself."

Kakyuu nodded, squinting. The hazy, drifting red light that signified her shield crept gradually into her vision at an agonizing pace. Once she had her eyes on the reddish glow, she looked across to Galaxia, and felt her eyes widen.

Her shield was nothing to the galaxy's Star Dancer's; Galaxia stood outlined in shimmering golden light that twisted and spun through the air, as if buoyed by an invisible gust of wind. Just by looking, Kakyuu could tell that there was nothing to compare. The Saffer Crystal shone like a great blue star, its energy reserves far greater than Kakyuu's own or the Kinmoku Crystal, far below their feet. Kakyuu had the feeling that whatever she tried, she would not be able to break through that shield. She simply didn't have enough power.

_So much for that question_, she thought to herself, before narrowing her eyes. Maybe Galaxia didn't realize how much power she was putting into the shield—maybe because the Heart of the Galaxy was so vast that even that powerful shield was little more than a few drops of its white fire energy.

She thought of what Galaxia had said—_Let us make it a…a game, if you will. You win if you can succeed in pushing me out of the circle I stand in. You lose, however, if you are incapable of keeping your shield and are forced to step outside of your circle. _And suddenly Kakyuu knew—she didn't _have_ to break through the shield! All she had to do was apply enough power to surprise Galaxia and force her backwards! _But… _She blinked slowly, her mind catching up to her thoughts. _How could I possibly do _that_?_

_Convince her to use more magic against you._

The thought came from somewhere in the depths of Kakyuu's mind; the princess of Kinmoku frowned slightly. The voice was hers, but from where had it come? Convince Galaxia to use more magic? But the Star Dancer was sworn to protect Kakyuu, and she wouldn't agree to something like that—clearly, whatever power she was using now wasn't enough to harm Kakyuu.

_Not enough…_

_But if she won't use more of her power against me_, Kakyuu realized abruptly, _then how am I supposed to become stronger? If I can't make my shield stronger than Galaxia's magic—_

"Galaxia," she called across the courtyard, and the galaxy's Star Dancer lifted her head, raising one eyebrow, waiting for her to continue. "How much power are you using to create your attacks, in comparison to how much energy you have overall?"

The Star Dancer's eyes narrowed sharply; but she did as Kakyuu asked, lifting her hands and weaving the sign for _Light_. A miniature galaxy formed from the spinning golden energy, the Star of Stars glowing brilliantly at its center. The swirling stardust clouds about the gigantic star faded away, leaving the blazing light alone in the air. Galaxia's hand flicked slightly and impossibly tiny flecks separated from the burning replica of the Heart of the Galaxy. The flecks of light slowly piled into a very, very small star, but its brilliance was far overshadowed by the great star beside it. Kakyuu stared, her hands twitching at her sides. The thought filled her mind: _Only that much?_

_Am I not worth more of the Star of Stars' energy? I survived it before? I can do it again!_

"Why so little?" she asked aloud, watching Galaxia carefully. The golden Star Dancer stood still, only her wings stirring restlessly at her back. Kakyuu refused to look at them and let herself be caught up in the memory of flying; she had to _concentrate_. Surely Galaxia would see her point? Surely she would see the logic?

"No one would survive the full force of the Star of Stars' energy unleashed," Galaxia replied, unfazed. "It would take an exceptionally strong and experienced individual to withstand the force of even half of the power contained within the Heart of the Galaxy."

_I survived the Saffer Crystal and in turn the Star of Stars' core_, Kakyuu thought to herself, keeping her eyes on the Star Dancer. "And what about a fourth of the energy? You said Kinmoku's power amounted to one fourth of the Heart of the Galaxy's!"

Some unnamable emotion flashed in the depths of Galaxia's reddish eyes. "You do not yet have the power of your planet, Princess," she intoned softly, her words almost strained. "Do not forget your limits."

"I survived the Heart of the Galaxy before," Kakyuu argued, the feeling of anger slightly unfamiliar. _Where did it come from? Does it even matter…? _She pushed away such thoughts and focused on Galaxia.

"Simply because you were able to retain your senses in the sea of white fire, does in no way imply that you have the stamina or the magical strength to survive an attack based upon the size of your planet's energy." A faint frown crossed Galaxia's face. "What brings this questioning on? Princess, I know that you wish to achieve your dream, but—"

"How am I supposed to become _stronger_," Kakyuu interrupted, placing emphasis on 'stronger', "if you won't use more of your power against me? How can I hope to test myself against the Kinmoku Crystal when I don't have the experience of fighting off attacks much stronger than my own magic? How am I supposed to know how to reinforce my shield if _you won't try_?"

Galaxia's eyes widened and Kakyuu reflected that this was perhaps the first time she had seen the golden Star Dancer truly surprised. "You do not mean that," Galaxia murmured, her voice just barely reaching Kakyuu. "You do not mean that…you do not want me to _try_."

"I think I _do_," Kakyuu challenged, the Kinmoku Crystal blazing at the forefront of her mind. She thought she heard its song for a moment, slipping into her ears. Buoyed by the presence of the crystal, she said, "You want me to be a good Star Dancer—you want me to become Kinmoku's first Star Dancer in centuries. You have to push me to do that! I know you swore to my father that you would protect me from harm and all that, but if I can learn to defend myself, there will be less work for you! If I can control my shield I'll be able to ward off any attack on me, and if you won't help me make it stronger through magical means, how am I supposed to defend myself if Blood Eyes comes back and uses stronger magic?" She could tell she'd hit a nerve; the Star Dancer's eyes darkened slightly, and the Saffer Crystal pulsed lightly, a little blue circle that was rapidly losing its sapphire hue, the golden-white star within it surfacing.

"So _try_, Galaxia," Kakyuu dared the Star Dancer, leveling her gaze on Galaxia's face. "Try. If I can defend myself from your strongest attack, if I can defend myself from power the size of my own planet's, then I won't need to fear Blood Eyes. I won't need to worry about someone trying to harm me, because I will be able to protect myself. If I can survive you, I can survive anything." Kakyuu gazed into Galaxia's eyes and yelled, "_Show me your power_!"

Galaxia's hands moved rigidly from her sides, the limiter bracelets glittering golden in the sunlight. "You wish to know the might of the Star of Stars," she whispered, and Kakyuu had to strain her ears to hear the Star Dancer's words. "You wish to know…you wish to know, and I shall show you. You will not enjoy it. You may suffer grievously for your desperate words. Know that if I could, I would not allow this. But the Heart of the Galaxy has never suffered fools gladly." Her eyes glimmered, and Kakyuu realized with a start that the Star Dancer might actually be _crying_.

_What have I done? _The thought pounded through her brain, washing away the anger that had risen from that same strange place as the voice that had originally told Kakyuu to convince Galaxia to use more magic. Had she actually goaded the golden Star Dancer into drawing upon far in excess the kind of power Kakyuu couldn't dream of controlling?

She opened her mouth, but couldn't find the words to speak. She deserved this; she had driven Galaxia to this and now she would face the consequences. Now that she was of sound mind, she didn't want any part of it, but the words had come straight from her own mouth, from her own thoughts—and yet somehow they had become twisted to this. How could she let herself be deluded into thinking that this was in any way going to help her?

_I'm going to die._

Kakyuu swallowed thickly, trying desperately and not so much succeeding in staving off the fear and panic rising in her. Her heartbeat thudded in her ears and she felt the distinct urge to run as far away from Galaxia as she possibly could; but she knew in her heart that she would never be able to escape the Star of Stars' punishment.

She would not run. She would face the Star of Stars, because she had brought it on herself.

She forced herself to look to Galaxia; the Star Dancer's eyes were rimmed with gold-white, the distressed red within them at odds with the chillingly cold color of the Star of Stars. Her wings had spread behind her, as if pulled by the magic gathering, and Kakyuu could see Galaxia was outlined in a halo of burning white fire, the Saffer Crystal's true blue color lost behind the blazing image of the galaxy star. The song of the galaxy gemstone made its way to Kakyuu and she had to cover her ears in a vain attempt to block out the sound—it was so anguished, so pained, so horribly sad that if she listened to it any longer she might have given up on the spot.

_I'm sorry. _Kakyuu gazed at Galaxia, tried to read what lay behind those changed eyes. _I'm sorry! _She couldn't say it; her voice was trapped in her throat. She could only stare as the Star Dancer painted an unfamiliar sign in the air—one her mind vaguely translated as _Bright Burst _or something similar. The air felt heavier; Kakyuu's legs trembled, struggling to hold herself upright under the weight of such power. The stones beneath Galaxia's feet shattered with a resounding crash.

_"See!"_ Galaxia's voice was whisper-soft and yet screaming at the same time. _"See the power of the Heart of the Galaxy!"_

Kakyuu's only warning was the rumbling of the ground.

And then her world filled with brilliant golden light.

There was no contest. The magic broke through her shield with no pause whatsoever; she heard the faintest clash of glass striking the stones at her feet before the scorching wave of power hit her with all the force of a shooting star.

Kakyuu felt her legs give way and she was sprawling on the ground, though she couldn't see beyond the field of white fire. Fire danced everywhere; she was certain her hair had been singed, her clothes were probably on fire, and her arms were a mass of heat and pain, but she couldn't bring herself to try and do anything except lay on the ground, cool stone pressed against her cheek.

The burning light slowly trickled away from her vision, leaving blurry images in its place. She could see the walls of the courtyard, scorched black and crumbling in some places, a hole straight through on the far side. And something was approaching, something brilliant and golden and white; the ground rumbled again, disturbing her. She only remembered the pain and the goading and the consequences—_she had to make this right_!

Somewhere within her, she felt power stir.

She couldn't tell where it had come from—all she knew was that she had to escape more pain. Her fingers twitched dully, sending pain rifling up her arms, but she managed to form the sign she wanted. She knew it wasn't exactly right—she'd only seen it once, after all—but the burst of power that roared from her outstretched hands surprised even her, but especially the golden thing that was gradually settling into a familiar face—

Panes of golden glass crashed down beside her face, and she caught the faintest glimpse of horribly wide red eyes that were nearly eclipsed by burning gold as something flew away from them and struck the wall, the clinking resounding in her ears like crashes of thunder.

She tried to speak once more, but all that emerged from her throat was a vague croaking noise. The white fire, which had been dying down, suddenly surged back into life, filling her vision once more. She burned with the Heart of the Galaxy, and then she slipped away into nothingness as dark as a night without stars.


	10. Balance of Power

_Author's Note_: So here's the next chapter, a little late. I'm trying to work on my updating speed, but my teachers seem to disagree as this week has just test after test, a project, a lab…it never ends. *sigh* Meanwhile, the plot thickens! This chapter is pretty much all talk, but next chapter promises to be a little more entertaining. I'll try to get it out by week's end, but don't be surprised if you readers end up waiting another week for another chapter; my life is getting a little hectic right now. In fact, don't expect anything this week, so that if I _do_ get anything done, you can be pleasantly surprised.

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Star Dancer

_Part Ten: Balance of Power_

_What…what just…happened? Am I…dead?_

Kakyuu was floating in darkness. She was content to float there in the silence, away from the demanding call of life, and she might have stayed there if not for the sudden and insistent song weaving through her ears. It was an urgent-sounding song, the melody strained and pulling at her. _Find me! _the melody seemed to say. _Find me! Come! _And Kakyuu remembered _purpose_.

She turned her eyes towards the light in the darkness that seemed rather far away from her. All the same, she pushed towards it, words coming back to her—her own voice screaming in her own mind words she could not seem to say: _I'm sorry! _Kakyuu frowned to herself. _Sorry for what? _The light was within her grasp now, and she _reached_—

—and memory came crashing down on her. _Galaxia! _She threw herself into the light, not caring that it seemed far too bright.

And she blinked open gritty eyes and immediately had to shut them again from the brilliant sunlight. After several long heartbeats she managed to open them again, and this time the light wasn't so bright that she would need to shield her eyes—and she found that she was indeed still within the realm of the living. She sat up very carefully, flinching at the sudden bursts of pain from her arms, which had borne the brunt of the attack after the shield had broken. She squinted at her hair and found that she'd lost about half a foot of it, leaving the red locks falling a short distance past her shoulders.

"Galaxia?" she called, but her voice was little louder than a whisper. She narrowed her eyes, looking around and feeling shock creep slowly throughout her body.

The courtyard was in ruins. Only one wall was completely unharmed; two others were charred black and melted, and the last had a hole driven straight through it to the other side. The stones were melted into a smoking crater at the far side—_where Galaxia had been_, Kakyuu thought abruptly.

She scrambled to her feet, swaying when she found her legs couldn't quite hold her. She stumbled backwards, her shoulders striking the wall behind her. She braced herself against the wall, breathing heavily. If Galaxia had planned to show her the might of the Star of Stars…why wasn't the courtyard _gone_? Why wasn't Kinmoku completely obliterated, washed from existence?

_Unless… _Kakyuu stumbled forwards, unwilling to touch the far walls where they looked to be still smoking. _Could Galaxia have managed to somehow contain the Star of Stars' anger? _How_ could she?_

The golden Star Dancer was nowhere to be seen, and Kakyuu felt the first beginnings of fear. _Where is she? Where did she go? _She cast her thoughts back, to that fuzzy time after her shield had broken—

_The golden thing that had been approaching her—that had been Galaxia! _Kakyuu froze for a moment, feeling as if ice had crept into her veins as she recalled the rush of power and the shattering of golden glass…

_Golden glass_.

"Oh, stars," she breathed aloud, swaying in place. _"Oh, stars!" _How could she have done it? _How could she have managed to destroy the shield?_ Maybe—maybe Galaxia hadn't been paying enough power to it, when the Star of Stars had demanded justice? And then… Her eyes narrowed. Something had been flung away, towards the far wall, and then the white fire had burned brighter…

"What did I _do_?" she whispered, as her stumbling steps took her at last to the smoking, charred crater, the stones melted together into a twisted whirlpool of rock, twisted by the enormity of the Heart of the Galaxy's star-energy.

Sitting at the center of the charred circle was an innocently glittering bracelet of gold. Kakyuu could not see it from her spot at the rim, but she knew that there would be a replica of the Saffer Crystal set into the other side. Thoughts whirled through her brain—_I knocked off one of Galaxia's limiters. How did I—how could I _do_ such a thing? How am I still alive? How is _Kinmoku_ still alive? Half the power of the Star of Stars should have vaporized us all!_

She tipped forwards in her shock and rolled down the bumpy surface of the crater, hissing as the melted rock jarred the burns on her arms. She rolled right into the limiter, the cool gold catching her shoulder and stopping her abrupt descent. Kakyuu pushed herself up, snatching up the limiter; her fingers found the tiny blue crystal and she felt the faintest edge of blessed cold wash over her—_of course_! The bracelet was meant to contain the Star of Stars' burning energy, so of course it should lessen her pain when her wounds had been dealt by the galaxy star's white fire!

_But where is Galaxia? _Clutching the limiter to her chest, Kakyuu heaved herself upright, glancing around wildly, but she knew that the golden Star Dancer was nowhere she could see. She rubbed at the little Saffer Crystal, but it wouldn't show her anything. She closed her eyes and tried to remember what had happened—where had that power come from? She had thought that she would have had nothing left after her shield was destroyed, and yet…

_Could it possibly have come from the Kinmoku Crystal?_

Kakyuu frowned internally. That kind of power she had felt, buoyed by the strange anger—no, that wasn't the crystal of her planet. It couldn't be. Which meant it had to come from somewhere else; her eyes flew open when she recalled Galaxia's words: _"The crystal forms a…a reflection of yourself, an 'other self' as it is, an image with all your power and all your memories and all your knowledge… And you must do battle with her, for it is always the hardest to defeat yourself, someone who knows everything you do. Your other self is your opposite; and she will stop at nothing to defeat you utterly. You must be stronger than she…through whatever way you can accomplish. They say that the reason for this battle between you and your other self is that you cannot have a divided heart; you must be sure in your convictions and determined to protect that which has been gifted to you." _

Kakyuu stared down at the miniature galaxy jewel and wondered, _Could it have been my other self manifesting? But…she's not supposed to appear until after I join to the Kinmoku Crystal! _She felt the first prick of worry. Perhaps because she had been awakened to her magic by the Star of Stars, it didn't matter she had yet to bond to a crystal? And if her other self couldn't split from her… Her fingers curled tightly around the icy limiter.

What kind of a danger was she, if she couldn't figure out when her other self was manipulating her? What kind of a danger was she, to provoke the Star of Stars into such anger? _What kind of a danger am I to_—she shook her head rapidly, stopping the thought in its tracks. _No! _She recalled Galaxia asking if Pluto had named Kakyuu as the one who would bring about the End of Stars. _At this rate_, she thought morosely, _I'll destroy the whole galaxy because I don't know how to control my other self!_

Her concentration was broken by the sound of footsteps approaching. Kakyuu whirled, feeling her eyes widen. How could she have forgotten? The guards would surely come to investigate the explosion! Always before when they were tossing around fireballs, Galaxia had set up some sort of glamour to hide them from the eyes of passersby, but likely that had gone with the burst of energy that had left the courtyard in ruins. She had no idea what anyone else might have seen, but surely, it had to have been enough to fuel suspicions.

They couldn't find her here! _They couldn't know she was practicing Star Dancer magic_! Her mind screamed, _Not yet, not yet!_ Kakyuu tried desperately to think of the sign for the invisible glamour, but she had never had a good look at the sign and her mind refused to cooperate. She shrank back against the crumbling wall, knowing she would be perfectly visible to anyone who looked inside.

And then it came to her in a flash of insight; she lifted her head to the sky and called as loudly as she dared, "Pluto! I need to speak with you!"

Luckily for her, it appeared the Star Dancer of Time was listening, because tendrils of mist swarmed from behind her, and when she turned Kinmoku was gone. The Gate of Time loomed before her, and standing before it was Pluto, her giant key in hand, just the same as she had been the last time the princess of Kinmoku had met her.

"Something's happened," Kakyuu said without preamble, switching the limiter to her other hand as the cold sunk into her fingers. "Something went wrong, I don't know how or why or—do you have any ideas as to where Galaxia is?" As soon as the question was out of her mouth, she felt foolish. How could Pluto _not _know? She was the Star Dancer of _Time_, for stars' sake! She _had_ to know!

_But would she tell Kakyuu? _The princess of Kinmoku watched the Star Dancer carefully; but Pluto's red eyes showed no discernible emotions. Kakyuu found herself wishing for Galaxia, because at least with the golden Star Dancer she knew where she stood—_Well, perhaps not anymore…_

"The Star Dancer who bears the energy of the Heart of the Galaxy has returned to her birthplace," Pluto replied, not moving from the doors behind her.

"Her birthplace…" Kakyuu echoed. "You mean the Star of Stars?"

The Star Dancer of Time nodded once.

"Why is she there? Is it because of this?" Kakyuu held up the limiter. Pluto glanced towards it, extending a hand for it. Reluctantly, Kakyuu relinquished the golden bracelet, dropping it onto Pluto's palm. The Star Dancer turned it over in her hands, studying the tiny blue crystal on the forefront of the bracelet.

A faint light glittered from the depths of the miniature Saffer Crystal, and Kakyuu blinked in surprise when she noticed the reaction the little crystal brought about—she hadn't noticed it before, but Pluto too obviously had a crystal; Kakyuu just hadn't seen it the last time she had been in the dimension outside of time. Pluto's Star Dancer gemstone was a dark red color, the same color as the orb atop her great key, not like the bright ruby of the Kinmoku Crystal. For a brief moment, Kakyuu caught sight of a tiny pale light within the jewel, as if it had replied in answer to the tiny Saffer Crystal before receding back into the depths of the garnet gem.

After a long moment more of looking into the crystal, Pluto passed the limiter back. She did not say if she had been looking for anything or if she had only been inspecting the limiter for damage—Kakyuu supposed she could have been doing nothing at all and the princess of Kinmoku would be none the wiser.

Reminded of the limiter, Kakyuu closed her hands over it and asked, "How—how did I break through Galaxia's shield? I saw it—it was so much stronger than mine, it's—it's _ridiculous_ to compare the two. How could I possibly have enough energy to break it? How did I manage to knock this off?" She lifted the limiter bracelet.

"It was a matter of timing…and of consequence," Pluto replied. She waved a hand before her, some tiny thread of Star Dancer's magic passing through her fingers, and Kakyuu watched with interest as little images grew in the air. She realized with a start that she recognized both of them. The one on the left was Galaxia, and the one on the right was herself. At that moment, she was watching herself yelling across to Galaxia—though the pictures provided no sound, she knew enough to be able to tell when she was yelling—and the princess of Kinmoku knew that it was when she had challenged the golden Star Dancer to _try_.

She watched as brilliant light seemed to fill Galaxia, Pluto explaining that the light represented the energy of the Star of Stars rising to the surface. The two tiny dots that were the galaxy Star Dancer's limiters wavered, struggling to keep the energy contained.

The little figure of Kakyuu abruptly covered her ears, and Kakyuu frowned, the memory of the Saffer Crystal's cry of pain flooding through her mind. "Why did the Saffer Crystal sound so…so _anguished_? It's never sounded like that before…and I didn't want to listen to it cry out—"

Pluto's eyes glittered against the pale glow of the magic hovering in the air before her. "The Saffer Crystal is unique in its bond to its Star Dancer," she began, pausing the images. "It broadcast to you what its Star Dancer felt at that moment, torn between a promise made to your father and an oath given at the beginning of her existence to the Heart of the Galaxy. She could not refuse the Star of Stars…but she did not wish to harm you, either, and that helped her to contain more of the energy than she would have originally expended. Kinmoku is not a pile of ashes in her wake only because of you…however; you must recall that you began this ordeal in the first place."

"That…" Kakyuu's voice failed her. _That anguish was Galaxia? It came from her, not from the Saffer Crystal? _"W-why would the Saffer Crystal do that—let me hear those emotions?"

"Galaxia once told you that the crystal was fond of you. That is not the most accurate description, but it was the only way she knew of to explain the idea to you in a way that you could not misinterpret. The Saffer Crystal chose to let you hear that specific range of emotions emanating from its Star Dancer in order to help you understand what you had done, the wrong you must now make right."

"I wronged the Star of Stars," Kakyuu mumbled bleakly. "Will it try to destroy me, if I attempt to contact Galaxia?"

Pluto's gaze shifted towards the Gate of Time. "The Star of Stars has been shown to be fickle in the past; it may consider its punishment of you complete after it released its energy upon you. And still…it may not. I do not know the whims of the galaxy star, but I would offer you this advice—should you survive your next encounter with it, you would do well to remember this time and know to ignore that voice and that anger."

Kakyuu tactfully chose to ignore the _'should you survive' _part of Pluto's advice and instead focused on the last words. "Where did that anger come from? Who was the voice? It sounded like me, but—I don't want to hurt Galaxia!"

"But you do wish to become stronger, so that you may lay claim to the crystal of your home world and prove to those who believe you incapable that you can become a Star Dancer," Pluto raised one eyebrow pointedly. The key on her circlet glittered gold.

Kakyuu lowered her head, fixing her eyes on the tendrils of mist curling around her feet. "Yes," she whispered, because how could she deny the accusation of one who had seen her do so? "But—" she paused, swallowing thickly and wringing her hands, lifting her head to meet Pluto's dark eyes. "—I may want to be a Star Dancer, but not at the cost of Galaxia!"

"You mean well," Pluto allowed, shifting her giant key to one side, the garnet jewel glowing faintly against the gray stone of the Gate of Time. "You mean well, and yet you still managed to push these events into motion."

"I won't listen to that voice any longer, if that's what you want," Kakyuu said earnestly, clasping her hands behind her back. "But how am I supposed to tell if it's talking to me when it sounds just like me? How am I supposed to know if I'm the one thinking these thoughts or if it's that—that angry voice?"

"That is your own battle to fight," Pluto replied, her eyes growing distant. "I cannot tell you everything about what you may or may not become; it is your own journey, and I can only help you along it."

Kakyuu heaved a sigh. "Couldn't you give me a hint?"

The Star Dancer of Time was quiet for a long heartbeat, her gaze staring evenly at the princess of Kinmoku. Finally Pluto said, "Find that place where that anger resides, where that voice that sounds like you exists, and you shall know."

Kakyuu nodded slowly. She hadn't really expected the Star Dancer of the distant world of Pluto to give her an answer, but nonetheless, she knew it could have been a lot less straightforward. All she had to do was find that part of herself where the anger lived, and she would be able to pinpoint when the voice tried to twist her thoughts, to provoke another confrontation. She prayed to the stars that she wouldn't succumb to it again; that feeling of helplessness and pain as the Star Dancer of the galaxy had approached her, the beginnings of tears shining in her terribly pained eyes, the song of the galaxy's crystal falling on Kakyuu's deafened ears—she did not want to repeat the experience.

Most of all, she didn't want to know she had destroyed whatever bonds of trust that had existed between herself and Galaxia.

Kakyuu turned her eyes back to the faded light-pictures hovering before Pluto, still frozen, Galaxia struggling to contain the Star of Stars, Kakyuu covering her ears, trying to escape the Saffer Crystal's desperate melody of torment.

Pluto waved a hand, and the little images were moving again. "Watch," the Star Dancer instructed, and dutifully the princess of Kinmoku focused on the images, watching as Galaxia raised her arms, the light flowing from her straight for Kakyuu; red glass shattered with an explosive force and Kakyuu watched herself fall, sprawling in the remains of her shield that was fast disintegrating into fading red lights.

Galaxia approached, a vengeful star's angel of blazing light, and Kakyuu felt Pluto's eyes on her like heavy weights. "Watch closely," the Star Dancer of Time murmured, making the images slightly larger. Kakyuu narrowed her eyes, keeping her gaze on the flickering pictures. Galaxia stopped a mere step away from Kakyuu, and it was then that Kakyuu saw it—a sudden glow surrounding herself, the representation of her own power surging to the surface, guided by the voice of her other self, desperate to wreak havoc and at the same time driven by a desire to prove her own worth against the might of the Star of Stars—that drive was her own, she knew, and she felt ashamed.

The burst of red power surprised the Star of Stars, Kakyuu thought so at least, as the golden star-energy flared wildly as if in alarm; Kakyuu saw the dancing golden light that was Galaxia's shield flicker, solidify into crumbling pieces of golden glass that rained down beside the crumpled figure of Kakyuu. But more important than that, as the red power crashed through the shattering yellow glass Kakyuu saw one of Galaxia's hands rise at the wrong angle, and the tiny, intense glow that was the limiter on the galaxy Star Dancer's right wrist separated from her, flying off and striking the far wall.

The Saffer Crystal pulsed alarmingly, a blue glow fading into sheer white, as the star-energy within Galaxia leaped once, twice, before surging into plumes of white flames, half unchained from its heavy bonds. The left limiter's light glimmered, only managing to contain a little more than half of the Star of Stars' raging power. Galaxia stumbled, wings flaring out, the right feathers sheathed in dazzling white fire that licked at the stones.

Kakyuu slumped in place, now unconscious, and Galaxia dropped to her knees, hands clutching at the blue gemstone as if she was in pain, as if the Saffer Crystal was her anchor, the energy of the Star of Stars probably threatening to destroy Kinmoku—most likely starting with Kakyuu, who at that point in time wouldn't have been able to fight back even if Galaxia had tried to make good on her promise of the Star of Stars' punishment.

But at the last moment Galaxia seemed to regain some kind of control over her power, the Saffer Crystal a near too-bright star, and the Star Dancer of the galaxy staggered to her feet, swaying as if she might follow Kakyuu into unconsciousness, but then the Heart of the Galaxy's energy would have surely erased Kinmoku from existence.

Galaxia shut her eyes, wings folding around her as a brilliant white light, brighter than even the brightest of the white fire dancing in the courtyard, grew about her and then Kakyuu had to look away as the light surged into blinding capacity. When she looked back, the golden Star Dancer was gone, leaving behind the smoking rubble-strewn courtyard and Kakyuu herself, who was just beginning to stir when Pluto slashed her hand through the images and they faded away into the mists.

There was a long silence between them as Kakyuu thought of what she had been shown. Her hands curled into fists so tight she could feel her own nails digging into her palms. "I did that to her," she whispered, fighting the surge of self-anger. "I…I hurt her? I _did_, didn't I?"

Pluto watched her through guarded eyes. "The Star of Stars' energy is far greater than anything else in this galaxy," she began, looking pensive for a moment, as if considering how much to explain, and just how _to_ explain it to Kakyuu in a way she could understand. "No doubt its Star Dancer has grown…accustomed to the feeling of lesser power. I have witnessed its full power exactly twice—the first time, sixteen years ago, when the Heart of the Galaxy first created a vessel within which to store its energy; the second time, two years ago, when an asteroid cluster, five uninhabited planets and countless lifeless satellites were destroyed in the galaxy Star Dancer's final attempt to do away with her darker self. The Star of Stars' energy is a dangerous power—but it is not often used; that alone saved you and your planet from being utterly consumed in the sea of white fire. That alone…but you still tipped the balance of power within the Star of Stars." Pluto paused a moment, narrowing her eyes. "You felt the Heart of the Galaxy's power once before. Can you imagine half of that energy trying to escape you?"

Kakyuu fixed her gaze on the Gate of Time, silent, feeling a muscle in her jaw twitching. She wrapped her arms loosely about herself, watching brief images flash across the stone doors. Unwillingly, the memory of the Saffer Crystal's all-consuming energy, how she had been all but overwhelmed beneath the weight of the crushing power of the Heart of the Galaxy; the blue jewel had contained that sea of white fire, she knew, and to think half of it running amok—she stared at the stone doors, begging them to tell her something, _anything_ that might ease the weight of this horrible burden.

Kakyuu stared in surprise as an image of the galaxy surfaced against the myriad of other pictures that crossed the Gate of Time; the spiraling clouds of stardust spun away until the Star of Stars loomed in the galaxy's place, filling the entire space between the two doors. The fiery surface of the galaxy star seemed to move as Kakyuu leaned closer despite herself, picking out a vague shape somewhere within the heart of the star.

"Is that…?" The words slipped from her mouth as Kakyuu's eyes narrowed, struggling to keep the hazy figure in focus. Beside her, Pluto offered no confirmations, but the princess of Kinmoku at last discerned what the figure was when she spied the wings outstretched as if in flight, the tiny burning star that was the twin to the limiter held in her hands, the spiraling mark of the galaxy shining amidst the bright depths of the largest star in the galaxy.

"Galaxia," Kakyuu breathed, pressing one hand to the Gate of Time, at that moment not caring what the brief contact with the doors might do to her; as if brought to her mind by the touch of the ancient relic, sudden clarity burst upon her—the melody she had heard while mostly unconscious, the song that had driven her to awaken—it had been the melody that poured from the Saffer Crystal! It had called, _Find me! Come!_

And now she knew she had to answer it. It was not her crystal, not a star she was bound to serve…but she had to answer it nonetheless, for the sake of the Star Dancer she called—wished to be—_friend_.

She stepped back from the Gate of Time, her hand falling back to her side. "Pluto, will you—send me back?"

The Star Dancer of Time's eyes glittered faintly. "As you wish." She slid the key-staff into the keyhole, turning it a complete turn to the right and then half-turning to the left. She moved back as the Gate of Time swung open with a soft rumble. "Do not forget, princess of Kinmoku, that the End of Stars is coming, as is your moment of change. It would behoove you to keep that in mind as you continue your Star Dancer training."

Kakyuu nodded slightly, swallowing. She had almost forgotten the End of Stars in the turmoil. Still, she wouldn't forget it easily, that was certain. "I won't," she promised, moving through the doors and into the black void beyond. Slowly it solidified into a bright light that was growing and dancing—

The bracelet clutched in her hands began to feel icy-cold, an odd contrast to the rising warmth around her. Blazing white fire danced across her vision, the limiter's little Saffer Crystal sparking warningly as the tendrils of flame neared Kakyuu's skin. With a start, the princess of Kinmoku realized something:

_Pluto hadn't sent her back to Kinmoku!_


	11. The Star of Stars

_Author's Note: _So, it's been some time since I actually updated really much of anything. For one thing, it's getting close to the end of the year, so I've got a load of big tests to do—AP tests next week and the week after, just my luck—and my big Government test is coming up, too (being the Constitution test) so I probably won't be able to update until the end of May, when I will have plenty of time to myself. Expect more updates then.

This chapter is the shortest of them all, being a mere twelve words past my set minimum limit; the reason for this is that I have recently lost one of my beloved dogs, a female German Shepherd I'd had for eight years, and so I was depressed when I finished this chapter, unable to think of anything more to add. Maybe later I'll add in more, but for now this is what you get. I hope it's not too horrible; enjoy, and if you could leave your thoughts on the chapter, I'd be grateful. Also, if there are any spelling/grammar mistakes, do tell me!

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Star Dancer

_Part Eleven: The Star of Stars_

_This…is not Kinmoku!_

Kakyuu stared, half in awe and half in fear, of the burning white fire that had filled the space around her. No longer could she see the dark void that filled the Gate of Time, or the mists that seeped from that dimension that stood outside of time. She was alone in a vortex of flame, and she realized that must have been Pluto's plan—after all, Kakyuu had only said 'send me _back_', not 'send me _back to Kinmoku_'. She had assumed the Star Dancer would know her intent, but even so…she had an odd feeling she knew exactly where the Star Dancer of Time had sent her.

The limiter was a jarringly ice-cold against the blazing heat flowing around the princess of Kinmoku. The little Saffer Crystal burned blazing blue, and Kakyuu shut her eyes, fighting off the sudden wave of nausea at the idea:

_Pluto sent me to the Star of Stars!_

"The Star of Stars," she whispered aloud, her eyes opening again to the bright flames; she swallowed thickly, Pluto's words bouncing around in her head: _I do not know the whims of the galaxy star, but I would offer you this advice—should you survive your next encounter with it, you would do well to remember this time…_ 'Should you survive'—Kakyuu dreaded the thought of the galaxy star's punishment.

Strands of her hair danced past her face in the thick heat waves rolling about the interior of the star; she blinked, momentarily disoriented by the short length of her hair before she remembered—this was why she was here. The burnt skin along her arms ached as she drifted along, unsure of where to go or where to begin looking.

Crackling fire burst past her in an explosion of heat; but the limiter's shield that kept Kakyuu from burning held in place, and the tendrils of flame that licked at her did not harm her. Her fingers clung to the bracelet in her grasp; as another dancing flame passed her by, she took a breath and yelled, "I had no intention of doing harm to your Star Dancer, O Star of Stars!"

She shut her eyes, fully expecting the limiter's shield to fail—it was formed from the Heart of the Galaxy, after all, just as Galaxia was—and for the Star of Stars to destroy her for her impudence. But when only another wave of heat rolled past her, she dared open her eyes again, finding the limiter's shield undamaged.

Had the Heart of the Galaxy already passed judgment on her? Had it really _let her live_? (_Or did it see her as too far beneath its notice, even with her friendship to its Star Dancer?_)

Whatever the case, she was still breathing, still fully alive. Kakyuu let out a long breath, trying to relax; the Star of Stars could surely destroy her at any time, but for now she had another goal—_she had to find Galaxia_!

And if she could manage to avoid drawing the galaxy star's ire, then she would consider that an accomplishment.

Carefully, she slipped the limiter onto her wrist, the icy gold settling onto her forearm with little difficulty. She wasn't sure if she'd need both hands, but better to be over-prepared than not, as her father liked to tell her. Of course, he probably didn't think Kakyuu would go diving into stars by that philosophy, but for now, what he didn't know wasn't about to hurt him. She just hoped her parents had yet to notice her absence.

She raised her arm so she could see the miniature Saffer Crystal clearly, the roiling white flame making eerie dancing reflections on the blue jewel. The shield maintained by the limiter flickered lightly, pale golden glow nearly lost in the blaze. Kakyuu held her breath, waiting for something, _anything_—

A heat wave blew past her, bright tendrils of fire crackling; once more, Kakyuu was left floating in its wake, wondering if that was the end of the Heart of the Galaxy's anger. Not wanting to overstay her 'welcome', she focused on the galaxy star's crystal. "Take me to Galaxia. Take me to your Star Dancer," she murmured to it; somewhere in the depths of the circular gemstone, a pale golden glow flashed briefly.

Then she was moving, floating in an unknown direction, the limiter's shield drawing her forwards. The landscape of white fire roiled past, the star's inner flames even wilder than the previous fires Kakyuu had moved through. As a concentrated burst of flame hurtled towards her, she found herself not paralyzed by fear—no, she was not afraid of the Heart of the Galaxy. The galaxy star had no need to taunt her like this—it could just as easily force the limiter to no longer contain the white fire; though, that line of thinking was a bit odd, considering if the limiter no longer worked, there would be no way to return Galaxia to normal—but then Kakyuu realized that if the Star of Stars had forged the bracelets in the first place, how hard could it be to create another?

She squinted into the white, for a moment wary of this sudden bravery—but it was her own. She had no need to fear the Star of Stars. The galaxy's star could kill her, yes, but…she did not fear the star anymore, for she had come to a realization: she feared _Galaxia herself_ more than she feared the Star of Stars.

She did not want to lose what she'd worked so hard to build.

Kakyuu became aware that she was traveling faster, the Saffer Crystal insistently tugging her along, closer to the heart of the star. She was paying more attention to the white fire around her, and as such did not catch a glimpse of the flames with the slightest hint of feathers beneath them; she did not feel the bracelet grow lukewarm around her wrist, the warmest it had ever been when she was in contact with it.

She did not realize the limiter had led her straight to where she wished to go until she collided harshly with something solid amidst the inferno.

One blazing golden eye and one mostly red, partially golden eye met hers, and shock flitted across the golden Star Dancer's face. Galaxia did not speak—Kakyuu wasn't sure she could at the moment—but she mouthed _Princess? _and Kakyuu knew she recognized her.

"Pluto sent me here," she explained, and gripped the limiter tightly, seeing its twin on Galaxia's left wrist gleaming a bright blue. "I'm here to help you—to undo what I did." She stopped the other words from escaping—_Do you hate me now, for what I've done? Are you still my friend, even after all this?_

The galaxy's Star Dancer stared at her, as if in shock—perhaps she believed that Kakyuu could not have made it through the Star of Stars' raging heart, that this was some hallucination formed by the Heart of the Galaxy's dancing flames.

"I'm really here," Kakyuu said earnestly, hand plucking at the limiter around her wrist. It took her a moment to pull it off, but she managed, clutching the thick gold tightly in her grasp, the limiter's shield flaring up when she removed the bracelet.

Galaxia's mostly-red eye found the limiter and looked almost horrified; the Saffer Crystal blazed against the gold of her armor as she made an effort to control the fire around them. The Star Dancer's remaining limiter was flickering, faded in its attempts to hold back that powerful sea of burning white. Kakyuu froze involuntarily when the Star Dancer reached out to her, thankfully not with the hand closest to the Star of Stars' fire; but all Galaxia did—as she had done times before—was take Kakyuu's free hand and press it to the Saffer Crystal.

The princess of Kinmoku expected the blue jewel to be burning hot, like everything else in the star—but it was a relieving icy-cold, perhaps the crystal's last defense against the heart of the Star of Stars. She blinked and the white around them diminished into a raging sea near her feet; she was standing on a constantly-shifting island amidst that sea, an island of a familiar blue-and-gold color, and standing opposite her was Galaxia.

In this place within the Saffer Crystal, the Star Dancer appeared normal again, despite a distinct lack of her right limiter; both her eyes were red again, no longer filled with the Star of Stars' influence, and her right wing was no longer cloaked in flames.

_Do you know what has happened? _It was Galaxia's voice, though she seemed not to be speaking aloud, more so projecting those words into Kakyuu's mind through the crystal.

_The balance of power has shifted_, Kakyuu replied, finding it odd to hear her voice echoing around when there seemed no visible walls, never mind that she wasn't actually talking out loud. _I came to bring you the limiter, so that the Star of Stars' energy will be balanced out again. _Wouldn't it have been obvious, she wondered to herself?

_But you came _here, Galaxia emphasized. _You came _here_, to the Heart of the Galaxy. Why would Pluto send you here, when she knows well what will happen?_

_What are you talking about? _Kakyuu frowned; distantly, she tightened her grip on the limiter, as it seemed to be trying to slip away from her. The bracelet was becoming colder, as if it was working harder to ward off the Star of Stars' energy.

_Returning the limiter would restore the balance_, Galaxia admitted, _but that bracelet is your only protection against the heart of the Star of Stars! Without it, you will burn into nothingness! I may be the vessel of the Heart of the Galaxy, but even I cannot hope to fight it should it pass judgment upon you!_

Kakyuu's eyes grew wide; she hadn't considered that. _But— _She glanced around rapidly, to the white fire around them, worried. _Couldn't you send me back to Kinmoku, once I've finished, before the Star of Stars has a chance to destroy me?_

Galaxia frowned; the golden Star Dancer was silent a long moment as she contemplated this. The ground beneath Kakyuu's feet shifted and she flailed a few seconds before regaining her balance. Galaxia, on the other hand, seemed immune to the island's moving, and stared off into the sea of white fire, Kakyuu wondering if she was trying to come to a decision.

At last the galaxy's Star Dancer turned back to her, looking mightily unconvinced. _I am uncertain that I would be able to return you to your home planet._

_But it is possible? _Kakyuu asked, staring at her with pleading eyes. She didn't want to die here in the galaxy's center, her parents and the rest of Kinmoku oblivious to how she had come to be here.

_…Yes_, Galaxia admitted, looking down to the island they stood on. _…If you ask this of me, Princess, I cannot guarantee your safety. The Star of Stars… _She trailed off helplessly.

Kakyuu offered her a strained smile. _I'm not so sure the Star of Stars will kill me just yet_, she said encouragingly. _And I believe you can find it in yourself to send me home. You're the most powerful Star Dancer in all of the galaxy!_

_The Star of Stars is stronger than I am_, Galaxia reminded her. _I am merely a vessel for its energy._

_You're the most powerful Star Dancer in the galaxy_, Kakyuu repeated. _I trust you'll be able to send me to Kinmoku._

She blinked, and the sea of white fire rose up, filling her vision; and then she was back in the heart of the galaxy star, staring into Galaxia's eyes, the Saffer Crystal's cool touch fading.

The limiter was like chiseled ice; the princess of Kinmoku had to look to see if her fingers had frozen to the golden bracelet, but to her relief the cold seemed only a mental construct, not a truly physical ice. She did not dare let go of the galaxy's gemstone, because she had had the sudden thought that perhaps the Saffer Crystal might aid her once the limiter's shield was returned to its rightful owner.

She loosened her grip on the bracelet, feeling the shield flicker alarmingly—but it held for the moment she needed, reaching out to Galaxia, sliding the limiter back into its place on the Star Dancer's wrist; not before Kakyuu saw the dark markings now hidden by the limiter's presence flash disturbingly. She had no idea what the markings did, though Galaxia had named them a curse; but Kakyuu had no more time to wonder about the strange markings, as a great wave of heat and dying flames washed over her and she stumbled back, away from the Star Dancer, losing sight of her in the onslaught of white.

Her feet stumbled against refreshingly solid ground; Kakyuu floundered for balance, having to do a somewhat circular number of half-steps to keep herself on her feet. She blinked the white spots away from her vision, and felt a smile spread across her face as the familiar contours and colors of her bedroom on Kinmoku came into focus.

She was alive…and she was home.

"Thank you, Galaxia," she whispered to the brisk air, unsure of where the golden Star Dancer was, but certain she'd appear eventually. The chill in the air notified her both of the fact that her window was open, and had likely been all day; and the sky was dark, the distant stars stretching across it as if some distant watcher had thrown up a blanket studded with holes. Night had fallen in her absence; she realized belatedly that the time was not the only thing that had changed.

Her hair was still shorter than it had been, singed from the fire, and her clothes were badly burned, but the wounds she had collected upon her arms had vanished. She prodded at the skin of one forearm, but it seemed as good as new. Kakyuu frowned; was this the Star of Stars' thanks to her, for righting the wrong she had dealt it? Had it been Galaxia, in the act of transporting her back to her planet? Had it simply happened as a result of the Star Dancer magic performed on her?

Whatever the case, she now had an easier time of playing the fool, as her parents were likely to ask her where she'd been; she could dispose of the clothes without much fuss, and if she cut off the burnt ends of her hair, she could say she was trying out a new style. Her mother would be displeased that she had gone ahead and changed her hair without permission, but there wasn't much Kakyuu could do about it, as it was already done. Star Dancer magic could do many things, but somehow she doubted its ability to recreate hair.

She shut the window, drawing the curtains over it before hunting down a better set of clothes, discreetly getting rid of the damaged ones. It took her the better part of an hour sitting in front of her mirror, but she managed to get her hair to look as if it had been cut rather than burned away.

She sighed and studied her reflection in the mirror. She looked tired—which she was—and she reached out a hand, lightly resting her fingers against the glass. Letting out a long breath, she looked over her face. If Galaxia hadn't been able to bring her back from the Star of Stars—

Once she had given up the limiter's protection, no doubt the Heart of the Galaxy could have, and _would _have, easily done away with her, in the like of not even batting an eye at an occurrence.

She could have died today, and her parents would have never known, not unless Galaxia had taken it upon herself to tell them—or Pluto, perhaps, but Kakyuu was still uncertain if either of her parents knew the Star Dancer of Time—they would not have known.

She could have perished, and though her planet would mourn her—only Galaxia would have known how and why the Star of Stars had destroyed her.

Kakyuu swallowed thickly; without the limiter bracelet, she would have never have survived the heart of the greatest star. Her meager Star Dancer's magic was barely a drop compared to the reserves of the galaxy star; it would have overwhelmed her without even the slightest resistance.

Her hands trembled; she drew back, stepping hesitantly to the center of the room, peering downwards as if she could see through the layers of wood and stone to that sanctuary where the Kinmoku Crystal still waited for its Star Dancer. "How can I be worthy of you," she murmured to the dormant planetary crystal, "How can I be worthy if the Star of Stars can so easily crush me?"

The Star of Stars was a great power—but she had been through its heart before, in the Saffer Crystal, and she had retained her sense of self! She had been given magic from that very star! Surely, she should have been able to do _something_ more!

Yet when confronted with the true galaxy star—she had been helpless.

"Who am I kidding?" she laughed brokenly to herself. "What _am_ I doing?"

Before she could do anything more, a sound came from the hallway, a clattering kind of noise as if someone had dropped a great number of swords. Frowning, Kakyuu crept to the door and peered out into the darkened hallway, the stars the only source of light. She could see no sign of anything on the floor—so what was it that had made the noise?

"Hello?" she called cautiously into the shadows; she left behind the safety of her doorway and edged along the wall, trying to see better through the gloom. A flash of dark eyes near one of the large windows caught her attention—definitely too low to be a wandering guard's.

_Then who would…?_

"Hello?" she murmured again, careful yet still suspicious, and a shape darted across the faintly starlit window. Indeed, it was a child, with curling hair bound back into a tail behind herself, a pair of false Star Dancer's wings bouncing at her shoulders. Kakyuu's eyes narrowed; some of the servants did bring their children to the palace while they worked, but none ever stayed the night, more content to remain in the privacy and familiar settings of their own homes.

"Wait!" she whispered urgently, and in the space of another starlit window the child paused, glancing back at her. Kakyuu could not see what emotions flashed through those dark eyes, only that the girl gave her a long look before fleeing into the night, the starlight catching a shadow across her forehead; the Star Dancer's wings were the last to fade into the shadows, bright white as they were.

Kakyuu frowned, staring after the child. Who was she, and why was she here? Was she possibly connected to Galaxia—or perhaps even Blood Eyes?

She took a few steps into the darkness, but the child wearing Star Dancer's wings was well and truly gone; retreating back to her doorway, the princess of Kinmoku glanced around into the shadows, but she could see no other moving things, no dim eyes catching the light—it appeared she was alone.

She returned to her room, shutting and locking the door behind her as a precaution—not that locks would hinder one like Blood Eyes; she _did_ feel slightly safer though, because she doubted Blood Eyes would attack during the night. The red-eyed stranger wanted to be Kakyuu's downfall, or so she said, and what better way to do it than with an audience?

Kakyuu stifled a yawn, the day's events finally catching up to her. She hurriedly prepared for bed, telling herself she was going to get as much sleep as she could, having already wasted some of the night.

Before she shut her eyes, she thought of the child once more—was the girl a sign? A sign of things to come?

If so, what did it mean? What was she supposed to see?

And how did it fit into what she already knew?

Pushing thoughts of the future away, she closed her eyes and tried to sleep.

* * *

The morning dawned bright and early, Yoake's crossing of the sun _too_ early, in Kakyuu's opinion. She blinked rapidly, shading her eyes and squinting into the sunlight falling into her room despite the curtains. With a muttered huff, she crawled from bed and poked her head through the curtains; the sky stretched endlessly across from horizon to horizon with nary a cloud in between. The sun shone brightly against the blue sky, Yoake's descending glow smaller and more intense, hovering close to the far mountains.

Kakyuu muttered under her breath; she hadn't got quite as much sleep as she'd wanted, with all the thoughts and questions bouncing around in her head. She withdrew from the window, grateful her eyes were now adjusted to the light, and dressed herself for the day, mindful of her shorter hair.

She crept from her room quietly; she could see the shadows of guards crossing the hallway occasionally, but none moved to confront her, and so she carried on in silence. It was only after a few more turns that she realized she had regained her living shadow.

The golden Star Dancer appeared much the same as always; her wings were neatly folded at her shoulders, the Saffer Crystal glittered against her armor, and the right limiter showed to be no worse for wear from its time in Kakyuu's possession, at least insofar as the princess of Kinmoku could tell.

It was Kakyuu who broke the silence first, much like many of their conversations—"You made it back, then."

Galaxia nodded once. "The Heart of the Galaxy's power has been contained once more; you need not worry for its rage."

Kakyuu's eyebrows rose. "It—it's not mad at me anymore, then?"

Galaxia waved a hand dismissively. "Its punishment is complete. The Star of Stars is satisfied; though you did—did an unpredictable thing. It did not expect you to follow me."

"Well…" Kakyuu shrugged. "What else could I do? I had to give you back the limiter…"

"Most would find it…daunting, faced with the idea of delving into the heart of the Star of Stars," Galaxia tilted her head slightly. "But not you."

"I thought I was afraid, at first," Kakyuu admitted, wringing her hands nervously. "But…I realized the Heart of the Galaxy could have killed me so easily that—that I didn't have to fear it, because I wasn't a threat to it."

"Oh?" Galaxia looked faintly amused, like perhaps Kakyuu _was_ considered a threat—she couldn't imagine _why_, but perhaps it was so. Kakyuu nodded assent, eyeing the Saffer Crystal, so benign and yet it held the full power of the Star of Stars…

The jewel twinkled in the light, a flash of pale gold so like the star within it briefly slipping across its surface; and she remembered the white fire, how it had been everywhere, how her magic wouldn't have been able to protect her from that furious star-energy for even the length of a second. She turned away from the Star Dancer, the idea of such power suddenly looming over her head.

Kakyuu set a brisk pace down the hallway, the golden Star Dancer diligently following behind—but Galaxia did not know what Kakyuu had come to realize:

If she couldn't face the Heart of the Galaxy…

…then Pluto was wrong. Kakyuu was no important piece, had no great destiny; if she couldn't face the Star of Stars and survive by her own magic—then how could she possibly contend with the coming danger?

How could she possibly contend with the End of Stars?


End file.
